Westfield donates funds for revolutionary brain equipment
Westfield Health has donated thousands of pounds to a top Sheffield charity to bring a state-of-the-art piece of surgical equipment to the city.
Neurocare, which supports the Neurosciences Department at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital, wanted to raise £70,000 to purchase a new skull base endoscope, the most advanced of its kind in the world.
Westfield donated a third of the money, totalling £25,000, to the charity which is fast becoming one of the UK’s leading centres for neurological care.
Lesley Eland, Chief Executive at Neurocare, said: “We are so grateful for this donation from Westfield which has helped massively in being able to buy the skull base endoscope.
“An endoscope is a lighted optical instrument used to get a deep look inside the body, but the hospital’s existing skull base endoscopes need to be regularly cleaned in theatre, making their use limited.
“This new technology will allow surgeons to operate more easily on life-threatening brain tumours in the skull base, which are particularly hard to reach, revolutionising complicated brain operations.”
Currently doctors operating on a skull base tumour must either open up a patient’s face or head or use less sophisticated endoscopes to up through the patient’s nose.
The new innovative endoscope and associated equipment, pioneered in America, is self cleaning, cutting operating times dramatically and increasing the circumstances in which it can be used.
Graham Moore, Chairman of Westfield Health, added: “We have a long-standing association with Neurocare. They are a fantastic local charity and we are delighted to make this donation.
“We have a lot of admiration for the hard work the charity puts in to raise awareness of the importance of acquiring equipment like this, which would not normally be funded by the NHS. World class surgeons need this equipment to help them continue with their research, confirming Sheffield’s position as one of the best centres in the country for neurological care.”
Westfield has previously donated £30,000 to the charity’s Brainwave Appeal to help bring cutting edge SonoWand brain scanners to the city.
© Westfield Health Insurance 2012
- Personal Health Cover
- Health Cash Plan
- Health Insurance / Surgery Cover
- To sell
- As an employee benefit
- Corporate plans for your staff
- Westfield health insurance plans
- Advantage
- Foresight
- Westfield Flex
- Chamber Plan
- Institute of Directors Plan
- EASE
- Already have a health plan?
- My Westfield
- Cash Plan information
- Claim forms
- Fun and games
- GP Telephone Helpline
