A YORK charity has funded new equipment to help hospital patients get swift relief from distressing lung symptoms.

York Against Cancer funded two ultrasound machines for Ward 34 at York Hospital to detect fluid on the lungs of patients with conditions like cancer and lung infections.

The fluid can quickly be drained, making patients more comfortable and enabling speedy analysis and diagnosis of patients’ conditions.

The charity bought the machines for just under £20,000 each at the request of Dr Alison Gill, consultant respiratory physician at York Hospital, and they were handed over before the current coronavirus outbreak took hold.

“We had one, much older machine – it was a dinosaur,” said Dr Gill. “We applied to the Trust for a second machine but they are pretty cash strapped. We were unsuccessful, so we came to the charity to see if they could help. We’re delighted they agreed to pay for two machines.”

Ward Sister Steph Williams said: “The machines have a probe that works like the equipment used on pregnant women. You use it with gel and hold the probe against the chest wall. It sends soundwaves into the chest to create a picture to see where the problem is.

“The new machines have made a massive impact. Having two is just fantastic. When we have outpatient appointments it means we can reduce the waiting times.

“They are also of a much higher quality than the old machine so we get much better pictures and they reduce the number of people we have to refer to the radiology department for x-rays as well as making patients more comfortable.”

Julie Russell, general manager of York Against Cancer, said she was delighted at the difference the new machines were making. “It’s what we are all about as a charity,” she said.