The 5000th patient has been assessed at the Royal United Hospital using a £1.2 million scanner which was funded by the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group.
BCUSG chairman Mike Taylor | Photo © Bath Cancer Unit Support Group
The PET-CT scanner, which gives detailed full-body images to help doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, was the first to be permanently installed at an NHS hospital in the South West of England.
Much of the money for the state-of-the-art scanner was raised by members of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group’s (BCUSG) Trowbridge fundraising group, and by people from across Bath and the surrounding area.
Martyn Evans, who is head of Imaging Physics and Nuclear Medicine at the RUH, said: “5,000 patients scanned locally on the PET-CT scanner is a fantastic milestone and it’s only been made possible due to the great work and generosity of the BCUSG and its supporters.
“All the unseen charitable work is having a very real effect on patient lives.
“On behalf of all those patients and our team, we would like to say an enormous ‘thank you’ to the charity and everyone who donated money.”
He added the PET-CT scanner had made a huge difference to patients locally and improved the accuracy of diagnosis.
BCUSG chairman Mike Taylor added: “We’re really proud that 5,000 patients have been assessed using the PET-CT scanner at the RUH.
“But we now need to fund new technology for the RUH that will help medical staff target treatments more effectively – so our work continues apace.
“As well as individual donations and legacies, we’re also looking for corporate sponsors to help us ensure we can continue our valuable work supporting the RUH cancer unit.”
As part of its fundraising activities, the BCUSG is holding a quiz night on 19th November at the Wesley Road Club in Trowbridge. The charity is looking for teams of local people to take part.
It costs just £5 per team member, with a maximum of six people per team, and the evening will include a bar and raffle. For more information, contact Dave on 0776 8628144.
To donate to the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, or to discuss becoming a corporate partner, please email Alan Webb at [email protected] or phone 07896 741233.
