Charitable donations fund rapid-diagnosis lung function testing equipment

Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, has purchased new lung function testing equipment worth over £28,000, thanks to charitable donations.

The equipment will support the rapid diagnosis of lung disease in predominantly an outpatient setting but will also be used for inpatients.

 The equipment will enable a regular respiratory clinic to take place at South Pembrokeshire Hospital offering a Spirometry and Gas Transfer for Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) clinic with respiratory specialist nurses.

 Spirometry and Gas Transfer are two different types of respiratory function tests. Spirometry looks at dynamic lung volume and airway pattern, and gas transfer looks at how efficient the lung tissue is working to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the blood stream.

 The level of service the new equipment will provide has not been available at South Pembrokeshire Hospital before. It will help provide an improved patient service locally and minimise the amount of travelling for Pembrokeshire patients.

 The portable equipment will also enable rapid diagnosis and decision making without the need for patients to visit hospital twice.

 Professor Keir Lewis, Respiratory Lead at the health board, said: “We are delighted that charitable donations have helped us purchase EasyOne Pro LAB DLCO Lung Function Testing equipment. This advanced technology can be carried in a small brief case and gives us the same information on how well someone’s lungs can work as a hospital laboratory.

“By being portable, we can move it to different hospitals and locations to meet new demands and bring care closer to home.”

 Angharad Pugh, Senior Respiratory Physiologist, said: “Attending South Pembs Hospital is allowing us to monitor disease progression and symptoms in a one-stop clinic, providing the patient with more rapid adjustments in treatment and ongoing management. 

 “Additionally, it reduces the need for patients to travel cross-county for tests and the number of visits to hospitals, helping reduce pressure on clinical space, appointments, parking and carbon footprint.”

 Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, said: “Our charitable funds support expenditure over and above what the NHS can provide.

 “The new lung function testing equipment shows how donations can make a significant difference to the patient experience by providing the local NHS with the latest technology. A huge thank you to everyone whose generous donations have made this possible.”

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk