Preston charities Rhodi Charitable Trust and The HVM Foundation have partnered up to provide a new treatment chair for the Chemotherapy Unit at the Royal Preston Hospital.

They donated £4,332.89 – the full cost of the Digiterm C4 Battery Therapy Chair – to Rosemere Cancer Foundation for it to make the purchase.

The chair, which has its own power supply so can keep working in a power cut, will be used by both patients receiving chemotherapy treatment and by staff, who require specialised chemotherapy training.

Rebecca Arestidou, who works as Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s trusts, grants, fundraising impact and project officer, explained: “Staff numbers on the unit have been increased to meet current service demand.

Representatives of Rhodi Charitable Trust and The HVM Foundation with their donation for the chair

placeholder image — Representatives of Rhodi Charitable Trust and The HVM Foundation with their donation for the chair

“New staff need specialised training on the unit’s equipment, including its chemotherapy treatment chairs, which are designed to maximise patient comfort. The team didn’t want to take out any of its 15 chairs for training as this would have impacted on the number of patients they were able to treat so Rhodi Charitable Trust and The HVM Foundation have very kindly stepped in to provide this new additional chair.”

Rebecca added: As well as upping the skills of new staff, it will be used by approximately 10 patients a week so we are extremely grateful to both charities for their continued support.”

Mr Ibrahim Vali Bux from Rhodi Charitable Trust and Mr Firoz Bux from The HVM Foundation said: “Rhodi Charitable Trust and The HVM Foundation aim to provide support to various good causes. Supporting local charities and causes is particularly important to us. As such, we are delighted to once again work in partnership with Rosemere Cancer Foundation to fund this new chair. We hope our gesture will support their great work in treating cancer patients and training staff on specialised chemotherapy.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free. For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk