A STATE-OF-THE-ART scanner has been delivered to Malvern Community Hospital after the hospital’s supporters made a wish come true.

Matron Lin Inglis drew up a ‘wish list’ which was taken to heart by the Friends of Malvern Hospital and Malvern Rotary Club.

One of the items on the list was a portable ultra-sound scanner to be used in the outpatients department by visiting consultants following referral by GPs.

The scanner can identify chest, abdominal and internal organ problems, avoid the need to visit to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

In June 2009 Malvern Rotary Club decided to raise £30,000 over three years for the scanner – a Siemens Acuson X300 – the club’s most ambitious target yet.

Earlier Betty Shuker, Malvern Inner Wheel president, had set their club’s sights on raising money for the hospital.

Her successor Kathryn Banister Harding followed this lead and the club decided to give support to the Rotary plan led by president Brian George. Fund-raising events followed including the Tree of Light, a joint garden party, Kathryn’s Birthday Bash, St George’s hog roast, the Alex Brown Mile of Pennies, Swim4Cash, Keith Clingan’s Walk and Bruce Banister Harding’s half-marathon.

Within 18 months Rotary and Inner Wheel efforts had raised more than £21,000 – well over half the target in half the time. The friends, who were already funding a large number of items for the hospital, were also keen to see the scanner in place and approached Rotary president David Jones with the news they had received the proceeds of a substantial legacy. They offered a “top-up” to complete the target to which Rotary and Inner Wheel agreed, allowing them to buy the scanner. Last month a group of members of the Malvern Rotary and Inner Wheel clubs together with the friends and members of the nursing staff met at Malvern Community Hospital to complete the formal handover of the scanner.