A VITAL piece of equipment for the treatment of patients including leukaemia sufferers is up and running at Kidderminster Hospital, thanks to the fund-raising activities of building companies in the district.
Kidderminster Hospital League of Friends has also played a key role in the installation of the essential new machine, a platelet incubator with an agitator inside.
The equipment is used to look after platelets in blood before they are transfused to patients and cost £4,000.
The bill has been paid using half of the proceeds from an Oscars-themed charity event organised by building companies, Thomas Vale Construction, Baily Garner, Image Styles and CHN, together with Wyre Forest Community Housing.
The League of Friends also donated £1,000 towards the purchase.
Colin Cheek, chief biomedical scientist in the haematology department of Kidderminster Hospital, described the new machine as "essential", after a previous one broke down.
"Basically, it keeps the blood at a nice temperature before it's transfused to a patient," he said, "It's not something we can do without."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article