Westfield Health donation helps young hospital patients in Manchester

A donation from health insurer Westfield Health has enabled Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity to purchase specialist medical equipment to help with the treatment of its young patients.

Following the £14,378 donation, the Regional Sleep Assessment Service, based at the hospital, has been able to buy a Transcutaneous CO2 Monitor which enables staff to measure CO2 levels in children’s blood in order to provide the right type of ventilation.

Tanya Hamid, Legacy and Trust Fundraising Manager, said: “The charity supports projects which create more child-friendly services within the hospital, and purchases specialist equipment that makes diagnosis and treatment of our young patients both quicker and easier.

“The new CO2 monitor is essential in aiding assessment and diagnosis of sleep disorder breathing, particularly for children with severe and complex medical conditions including Down’s syndrome and cystic fibrosis - very often these patients will require ventilation if their conditions worsen.

“Previously, the hospital was only able to monitor CO2 levels through a blood sample taken when the patient wakes up, which never gave us the full picture, ventilation-wise. This new system gives us a much more accurate overall idea of the children’s breathing and, because it uses a sensor on the skin, it is not as painful as an injection to take blood samples can sometimes be for our young patients.

“Being able to diagnose children through non-invasive procedures and by using the most up-to-date equipment greatly improves patient care, so this support from Westfield Health is immensely appreciated.”

Graham Moore, Chairman of Westfield Health, said: “No one enjoys being poorly in hospital, but it can be an especially difficult and overwhelming experience for very young children, in particular.

“Any piece of medical equipment that can lead to less pain and anxiety for the hospital’s young patients is a development we are keen to support.”

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital treats more than 200,000 children a year from all over the country, with the Sleep Assessment Clinic seeing a resultant increase in demand for its services.

Westfield Health supports communities across the UK and has donated more than £11 million to the NHS and medically related charities in the last 15 years.

Established in 1919, Westfield Health is one of the most successful and secure not for profit health insurers in the UK, providing cover for more than 400,000 policyholders and more than 8,000 companies.