Exeter Foundation funds vital equipment for Hospiscare

The Exeter Foundation has donated £5000 to Exeter-based adult hospice charity, Hospiscare, to help fund 60 nurse bags.

The bags, which will hold key pieces of diagnostic equipment, will be used by Hospiscare’s 28 community nurses and bank staff at patient’s homes, nursing homes and at hospices to help diagnose patients more directly.

In addition to the 60 bags, the donation has facilitated the purchase of key equipment including thermometers, stethoscopes, urinalysis sticks, pulse oximeters – which check and monitor changes in pulse rates, and sphygmomanometers – which measure changes in blood pressure.

Chairman of the Exeter Foundation, Tony Rowe OBE, said: “One of the key aims of the Exeter Foundation is to support local charities and causes. It is easy to see the benefits of the nurse bags; which will greatly help Hospiscare staff but also potentially relieve pressure on local healthcare services.

“The bags will last for between five and ten years, so we are extremely pleased to be able to provide a lasting legacy to Hospiscare with this project.”

Hospiscare is a local charity, providing free, high quality care and support to people with a progressive life-limiting illness, and those close to them in Exeter, East and Mid Devon. Last year, Hospiscare supported 1965 patients through 14,385 home visits and it is hoped the bags will both reduce this number and the need for support from district nurses and GPs.

Clinical Nurse Specialist at Hospiscare, Ann Rhys, said: “On behalf of all the community nurses at Hospiscare, I would like to say a huge thank you to the Exeter Foundation for supporting this project.

“To provide these bags and the equipment inside them will allow us to be a lot more responsive to our patients and help them avoid numerous additional visits, as well as reduce the number of health care professionals needing to visit at any one time.

“This equipment will help us to confirm our diagnosis and get treatments to patients quicker, supporting a variety of situations that can occur in a patients’ home.”

For further information about the Exeter Foundation, please visit www.exeterfoundation.org.uk