2 weeks Ago
A children's hospital charity has launched a new appeal to help buy vital equipment. Rockinghorse Children's Charity is hoping to raise £50,000 to buy a new Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) machine for the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton. The machine would be used in the emergency department to help staff quickly and accurately assess children's conditions.
The department sees around 700 children each week, with symptoms ranging from allergic reactions to broken bones and serious medical emergencies. The POCUS machine would allow staff to make speedy diagnoses, reducing treatment time and easing anxiety for patients and their families. The charity previously funded a similar machine 12 years ago, but it is now showing its age and replacement parts are no longer manufactured.
Dr Dan Yusef, consultant paediatrician in the emergency department and high dependency unit at the hospital, submitted the application to Rockinghorse to replace the machine. He said: "Having this POCUS makes a huge impact on the care that we can provide every single day. "Being able to quickly and effectively diagnose a child in a serious or critical condition, means that we can get them the treatment they need as soon as possible.
"This not only helps them and their family but means that we can see more children and speed up waiting times within the department – a plus for so many. "This machine really can make the difference between life and death, and it forms an absolutely vital part of our work here at the hospital." The POCUS machine uses ultrasound scanning technology to create images of internal organs, tissues, muscles, and blood vessels.
Unlike a normal ultrasound, the POCUS machine can be brought to the patient's bedside, aiding a speedy diagnosis. The machine was recently used to help a three-month-old baby who was transferred to the children's emergency department in Brighton from another hospital. The baby was unwell and needed an urgent intravenous cannula to receive fluids and antibiotics.
Due to the baby's size and previous attempts at the referring hospital, this was only possible with the use of ultrasound to ensure the cannula was placed correctly. The POCUS machine was also used to examine the baby's stomach and identify a blockage, which was successfully treated by the surgical team. Fran Masey O’Neill, project manager at Rockinghorse, said: "We rely on our wonderful colleagues within the NHS to tell us exactly how we can best help support their work.
"And this is exactly what’s happened with this ultrasound machine. "It will have such a huge positive impact on the thousands of babies, children and young people that come through the emergency department every year. "Knowing the projects and equipment that will make the most difference to the support the NHS are able to provide to local children and families is so important.
"This means that our supporters know that when they donate, or fundraise for us, they are directly impacting on sick children within their community." Anyone who would like to support the charity and help fundraise for the new machine can visit the Rockinghorse website or call 01273 330044..
