Vital surgical equipment donated to Tiverton Day Case Unit

£80,000 worth of state-of-the-art theatre equipment has been donated to the Day Case Unit at Tiverton Community Hospital thanks to funds from the hospital’s League of Friends.

Theatre services at the Day Case Unit are provided by the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. The equipment, which included diagnostic tools such as gastrocopes and colonoscopes, a 3d scope guide and new stacking monitors, will enable the unit to complete more surgical services closer to home for local people.

Phil Luke, RD&E Divisional Director for Surgical Services, Said: “This valuable equipment has supported our staff to substantially increase the endoscopy services we provide at the excellent Tiverton Day-case Unit. This equipment has been a major investment by the RD&E and means that we will be able to treat more local people closer to their home.  The financial assistance provided by the Tiverton League of Friends has been much appreciated and most helpful.  We are considering other ways in which we might build upon this success to move even more services out to Tiverton to treat more local patients.”

Arthur Govier, Chairman of the Tiverton Hospital League of Friends, added that the league was “extremely pleased to have been able to assist in this project which enables more people to be treated locally, thus avoiding the need to make unnecessary journeys into Exeter.”

“We continue to fundraise for this particular purpose to liaise with all appropriate departments in our hospital, with a view to enhancing and making as many services as possible available at Tiverton. Recently we were able to finance the purchase of a Dragnet Jaundice Meter for use in the Maternity Unit, thus preventing newly born babies from having to experience having an intrusive sample of blood taken or their mums having to travel into Exeter for the test to be carried out. We have also seen the re-installing of maternity ultrasound scans at the Tiverton Birthing Unit” added Arthur.