KIDDERMINSTER Hospital would "struggle to give the best possible service without help from charities", a consultant radiologist has said following the donation of more than £110,000 of hi-tech equipment.

Dr Umesh Udeshi said two new ultra-sound scanners donated by the League of Friends were helping to save lives, with the quick diagnosis of prostate cancer and saving mums-to-be unnecessary trips to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

He described the devices as "more or less the best that money can buy" and said the one in the imaging department and intervention suite had helped reduce waiting times for prostate biopsies from 12 to 14 weeks earlier this year to around four weeks.

"This additional machine will enable us to carry out more scans than we have ever been able to do," he added.

He said the maternity department's scanner, which cost £79,000, had replaced a scanner which was state-of-the-art when it was purchased but had become outdated.

It generates high quality images to provide valuable information on pregnancies.

"Without help from charities we would be struggling to give the best possible service so we're extremely grateful," Dr Udeshi said.

"I think over the years - since the League of Friends was formed - they have donated more than £2 million to Kidderminster Hospital, so it's absolutely fantastic and we've had a lot of help from them."

He said the prostate scanner, which cost £37,000, also helped the hospital to offer a "one-stop" service, enabling patients to see a consultant urologist in the morning and undergo a biopsy in the afternoon, depending on a blood test result.

Chairman of the League of Friends, David Wase, said members of the charity were pleased to have been able to help improve the service.

"Over the years, we have had money donated to us and quite a lot has come from people who were very grateful for the treatment they had received at the hospital," he added.

The pioneering Kidderminster and District Prostate Cancer Support Group donated £5,000 towards the scanner for prostate examinations and biopsies.

Chairman, Rev Paul Brothwell, said the machine was "good news for men in the whole of the county".

The group is holding a coffee and bring and buy morning at Areley Kings Village Hall on Saturday, from 10am until noon.