The Rainbow Ward for children at West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, has a new piece of kit thanks to fund-raising.
MyWiSH Charity has handed a new £4,000 portable ultrasound scanner, called a Vscan, to the unit to help with ultrasound guided cannulation.
Dr Dilshad Marikar, paediatric consultant, said: “The scanner shows a real-time image, helping the staff to be able to accurately locate veins. This is a huge help on the paediatric ward, as children can be notoriously hard to cannulate.
Sally Daniels, of MyWiSH CHarity, with Dr Dilshad Marikar. Picture: Submitted
“This will not only help the medical staff but make for a better and less traumatic experience for the young patient.”
This device requires training and practice to be used well, and so My WiSH Charity has provided funds for practice models of veins, which are a training tool. Going forward, it will have other uses for patients who need an ultrasound scan for life-threatening emergencies.
Dr Marikar added: “With the training equipment also funded by My WiSH, our long-term goal is to expand the number of staff trained to use it.”
A Vscan portable ultrasound. Picture: Submitted
Sally Daniels, fund-raising manager, said “We have been able to provide this scanner thanks to donations and are so grateful to everyone who supports My WiSH and the work we do.”
A further two ultrasound scanners have been purchased by the charity – one for the orthopaedic team to help staff to monitor femoral arteries in patients with hip fractures and the other to be used by the neuro physio team to help administer botox for patients with illnesses such as Parkinson’s.