A fundraising appeal has been launched to help a children’s hospital purchase a new scanner to help make taking blood tests from babies and children less stressful for patients and families.
Staffordshire Children’s Hospital – part of University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) – is appealing for people to support a UHNM Charity campaign for a £47,000 scanner called a vein finder, which will help guide practitioners to suitable veins.
Many premature babies have a number of cannulas very young, and it can make it difficult to find new veins to use for vital life-saving treatment and medication.
Paediatric Consultant Evelyn Chow said: “Paediatric canulisation is already a specialised skill. Even the most experienced practitioners find it extremely difficult canulating severely ill or poorly patients and this can prevent or delay the delivery of life saving treatment or medication.
“With the use of modern ultra-sound equipment vascular access can be made far easier and quicker as it can be done under ultra-sound guidance and enables a practitioner to access vascular quicker.”
She added: “Being able to image organs at the bed side such as lungs, heart and kidneys with the modern equipment can also speed up diagnoses and treatment which is often key to treating critically unwell babies and children.”
Mum, Josie Wheeler, of Hixon, near Stafford, said using a scanner had made things much less stressful for her and her son Harry.
She said: “The use of the scanner has been really positive for him and much less stressful because it causes him upset and us as well, it is nice to see that with the scanner you can make it quick and easy.”
Anyone who can help the appeal should contact UHNM Charity for a fundraising pack or click here to visit the website.
