The quarter target mark has been hit as fundraising continues at Basingstoke Hospital for a new 3D scanner – able to highlight cancers quicker than before and monitor spread to other parts of the body.

Last week a £250 donation from a volunteer porter on the radiology ward saw the total amount raised reach £25,000, for the new SPEC/CT scanner which is set to replace a 17-year-old piece of equipment, which has limited 2D capabilities due to its age (its expected life was 10 years) and if not replaced would “mean this service will cease completely”.

The new scanner, which is the latest in technology and can be used to highlight a variety of diseases in addition to cancer, produces 3D images which allows for the anatomy, as well as the functionality of body systems, to be studied – offering a more accurate and detailed diagnosis.

The equipment will cost £865,000; however, the North Hampshire Medical Fund is aiming to fundraise to contribute £100,000.00 towards it by the end of this year.

“Replacing the scanner is vital, if the current scanner was to fail it would be catastrophic for many services that rely on this service and also have a significant financial impact as patients will be sent to other organisations, and will lose some complete patient episodes to those organisations,” explained Anne Mitchell at the Medical Fund.

The latest fundraiser was Tim Moxey, a volunteer porter on the radiology ward, who works for nearby organisation Achilles Information Ltd. Following his volunteering on the ward, his company helped put £250 in the kitty.

Tim said: “I absolutely love volunteering at the hospital. The porter role that I’m in is rather specialist, it required three days’ training and is extremely varied. We help people in all sorts of situations from regular appointments, to big emergencies. I’ve met some really inspiring people, and the job has been extremely rewarding – especially when some patients return, better again, and thankful from your help in their time of need. The CEO at Achilles was delighted therefore to help raise fund for this vital cause.”

Anne Mitchell from the Medical Fund added: “We are very thankful to Tim and to everyone involved in raising funds for the hospital. We look forward to contributing towards new equipment in the future.”