News from the charity

Charitable donations totalling £26,000 are providing a boost to the ophthalmology department at Stamford & Rutland Hospital.

A new eye injection chair has been purchased and delivered to the hospital, thanks to the generosity of local business owners who made the donation through the North West Anglia Hospitals’ Charity.

The chair, which cost just over £17,000, will allow the patients already on the waiting list to be seen at Stamford & Rutland Hospital - and could see around 400 patients a year.

A £25,000 donation was made to the charity by Looker Energy Ltd, who wanted to give something back to the local community.

Mrs Looker, one of the Directors of Looker Energy Ltd, was herself an ophthalmology patient at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, but was keen to help bring the service she required closer to home for other patients.

She said: “As local business owners we really wanted to give something back to the community and our hospital Trust seemed the obvious choice, coupled with the fact that I have received care as a North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust patient.

“It has been great to see the chair which has been purchased and is ready to receive its first patients.”

Dr and Mrs Looker, and their daughter and fellow Director, Emma, were invited to the official hand over of the chair at the hospital, along with Trust Chair Professor Steve Barnett, Hospitals’ Charity Project Manager Philip Fearn, Clinical Lead Linda McInerney, Ophthalmology Sister Jo Ruby and Stamford & Rutland Hospital Matron Caroline Robertson.

Nicola McNamee, Service Manager, Ophthalmology & Oral Surgery said: “Our huge thanks for Dr and Mrs Looker for their generous donation and we can assure them that this specialist chair will help more local patients to be treated quickly and closer to home.

“We anticipate seeing around 400 patients a year, many of whom may otherwise would have had to go another hospital within the Trust.”

The remainder of the money will be spent within the department once projects are identified.

In addition, £1,000 will be donated towards the cost of a new ophthalmic microscope within the department.

The funds were raised from a recent Military Band concert at Stamford Endowed Schools, which chose the Stamford & Rutland Hospital (via the Hospitals’ Charity) to receive the donation.

 

 

Pic cap:

Stamford & Rutland Hospital takes delivery of the new eye injection chair. Pictured left to right:  Ophthalmology Sister Jo Ruby, Hospitals’ Charity Project Manager Philip Fearn, Clinical Lead Linda McInerney, Emma Looker and Dr and Mrs Looker. Seated is Trust Chair Professor Steve Barnett.