YOUR DONATIONS IN ACTION! Scope Guides for Endoscopy Department

With huge thanks to all those who donated in honour of our former Chairman, William Magill, the Hampshire Medical Fund has been able to purchase two Endoscopy Scope Guides, one each for Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. These vital pieces of equipment will enhance the diagnosis of colon and rectal cancers and Crohn’s Disease for patients in Basingstoke and Winchester Hospitals.

The endoscopy unit undertakes thousands of procedures to investigate patients who have problems with their bowels, stomachs, or digestive systems. By removing polyps and taking biopsies, the team work towards early identification and treatment of cancers. These Scope Guides will help to improve the patient experience of having a colonoscopy with less discomfort due to easier navigation and quicker procedure time.

When asked what impact he feels the Hampshire Medical Fund’s involvement in purchasing these Scope Guides has had on the department, Dr Michael Reynolds, Consultant physician and gastroenterologist for the Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust, said:

“I think it’s fantastic that we have this charity, we have lots of people behind the hospital trying to improve the quality of the service, improve the patients experience of procedures within the hospital and providing equipment that we’re struggling to provide with the NHS funding at present. We are very grateful that there is a fantastic team behind us, clinicians and patients, to improve the pathway for our patients in this Community.”

To mark the Scope Guides arrival to the hospitals, as well as William’s contributions to the Hampshire Medical Fund over the years, he was presented with a plaque by the Endoscopy department during a recent trip to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.  This plaque will be put up in Basingstoke hospital, with another one residing in Winchester hospital, acknowledging all the work he has done for the charity over the past two decades.  During this visit, William also got the chance to see the Scope Guides firsthand and met with a number of the clinicians and surgeons who will be using this fantastic piece of equipment in the near future.