PATIENTS with respiratory illness, cancer and other conditions are benefiting from a new £74,000 state-of-the-art lung function machine at Salisbury District Hospital.

Funded through donations to the hospital’s charity – the Stars Appeal – the equipment is helping people receive vital diagnostic tests closer to home, eliminating the need to travel to hospitals like Southampton or Bournemouth.

Used by the hospital’s Respiratory Department, the machine supports the care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cancer and heart conditions by monitoring how well their lungs are functioning.

Each year, around 2,000 patients rely on the service, with around 3,500 tests performed.

The new machine enables specialist lung muscle testing to be carried out at Salisbury for the first time, expanding the scope and speed of respiratory diagnostics available locally.

Lead respiratory and sleep physiologist, Punam Korat, said: “If this machine had not been funded by the Stars Appeal, we wouldn’t have been able to do the tests our patients need, and they would have had to be sent to other hospitals.

“Our patients can now be seen more quickly, and we can perform a specialist muscle function test that was previously unavailable.”

Kirsty Dudin, 76, from Stratford-sub-Castle, is among many patients benefitting from the new equipment.

“I need regular testing for my lung disease, so it makes a huge difference to be able to have these tests done locally,” she said.

“Thanks to the Stars Appeal funding the new lung function machine here in Salisbury, getting to regular appointments is not difficult.

“It is great to have access to the very latest lung function testing equipment. I feel very special and fortunate to be benefitting from the generosity of a lot of local citizens.”

The Stars Appeal aims to raise £2 million each year to provide the latest diagnostic and treatment equipment, enhancements to buildings and ongoing projects including support for people with cancer, Stars Appeal Wi-Fi and a dedicated play assistant on the Children’s Unit.

To find out more, visit www.starsappeal.org.

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