Charitable Funds Committee approves projects at November 2021meeting

The Charitable Funds Committee agreed to fund four projects at its meeting in November, one for Theatres, one in Ophthalmology and two in Head & Neck.

The charitable funds Committee meets regularly to review projects submitted for funding from the Trusts Charitable Funds, projects of a value over £5,000 automatically go to the committee for review along with any deemed unusual by the Exec Team. The committee reviews multiple proposals at its meetings, not all are approved, some a rejected as inappropriate, others may be differed pending additional information. 

There were also three proposals approved in principle but requiring additional information to be submitted to the committee prior to the granting of full approval, these will be covered in a later update once full approval is given.

Below is an outline of each project given full approval by the committee at this meeting;

Project name              Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) upgrade at Durham Treatment Centre

Department/ward      Ophthalmology

Charitable Fund         Medical Equipment Fund

Project description       

The Charitable Funds Committee approved the upgrade to the Optical Coherence Tomography system at the Durham Treatment Centre.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans are completed for a variety of patients within Ophthalmology and specifically patients with age related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) have regular scans performed. The current Spectralis OCT at Durham Treatment Centre is not equipped with the full functionality that the equipment at Sunderland Eye Infirmary (SEI) has, therefore patients may be required to travel to the SEI for assessment. The upgrade of the Spectralis OCT at Durham will allow us to offer the same service as at the SEI and also free up resources at the SEI.

Project name              StealthStation S8 – Image Guidance System

Department/ward     Head and Neck

Charitable Fund         Medical Equipment Fund

Project description       

The Charitable Funds Committee approved the acquisition of a StealthStation S8 Image Guidance System for use in Head and Neck surgery.

ENT Image guidance technology is used to assist in the identification of complex anatomy during sinus and skull base surgery. Even with a thorough knowledge of anatomy, each patient’s anatomy is highly individual. It is particularly useful in cases of extensive inflammatory disease, revision surgery, frontal and posterior ethmoid. Whilst a system may be mainly used in sinonasal disease, it is also applicable to other skull base surgery particularly for malignancy of the ear or sinuses.

Project name              Auditory Brainstem Response Equipment for Newborn Hearing Screening

Department/ward     Head and Neck

Charitable Fund         Medical Equipment Fund

Project description

The Charitable Funds Committee approved the acquisition of Auditory Brainstem Response Equipment for use by the Head and Neck directorate.

The Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test is an objective tool which is essential for the assessment of hearing in newborns and is also a useful test for children and adults as it does not rely on the individual making a response to sound themselves. The test uses sensors (electrodes) to record small brainwave activity in response to auditory stimuli which can be used to estimate hearing levels.

The equipment is also useful for test hearing on children and adults who have communication issues or are under general anaesthetic.

Project name              Cardio Pulmonary Exercise Testing Machine

Department/ward      Anaesthetics at South Tyneside District Hospital

Charitable Fund         Medical Equipment Fund

Project description

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) is a non-invasive method used to assess the performance of the heart and lungs at rest and during exercise. In the anaesthetic department this test is used for all pre-operative patients who are scheduled to undergo major surgery.

The CPET test is used to help predict the level of post operative care required including whether admission to critical care will be required post operatively.

During the CPET test the patient will be required to perform mild exercise on an upright bicycle whilst breathing through a mouthpiece. Each breath will be measured to assess how the body is performing. The capacity and strength of the lungs is measured before and during exercise. The heart tracing (ECG) will also be recorded prior to, during and post exercise.

The Charitable Funds Committee approved the acquisition of a new Cardio Pulmonary Exercise Testing Machine, to replace the existing device which uses technology that is no longer supported by manufacturers, and is therefore past its useful life.