A new mobile bladder scanner will help provide faster diagnosis and assessment for men suffering from Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms.
The £11,341 device, a Verathon Bladderscan i10, has been bought for Chorley and South Ribble Hospital’s urology department by Rosemere Cancer Foundation with funds from the Farleys Foundation – a fund set up by local law firm Farleys Solicitors.
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms include repeated night wake to urinate, urgency to urinate and incontinence.
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Grace Fletcher, urology nurse specialist, said: “LUTS is highly prevalent among men over 60 with up to 80% affected and studies suggest that one-third of men with prostate cancer experience LUTS.
“Symptom severity can vary greatly but in some cases, LUTS can severely impact quality of life leading to sleep disruption, anxiety, depression, social isolation, reduced ability to work or maintain daily routines and financial burden due to incontinence-related costs.”
But early and effective diagnosis can be crucial to alleviate the symptoms. It is estimated by the health trust that the new scanner will benefit around 600 prostate cancer patients each year.
Dan Hill, head of charities for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and chief officer of Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “We are delighted to support the scanner project. The scanner will make a meaningful difference to the lives of many hundreds of local prostate cancer patients as well as significant numbers of other men referred by their GPs for LUTS assessment.
“Our thanks to the urology team for making us aware of its need for a second scanner and the Verathon i10’s calibre and multiple benefits. We are extremely grateful to Farleys Solicitors and the Farleys Foundation, which has so generously funded the scanner’s purchase.”
“Through its foundation, Farleys Solicitors has been a stalwart supporter of Rosemere Cancer Foundation for the last 20 years during which time, its staff and clients have donated more than £50,000 towards a range of projects, many of which have involved the funding of innovative, new and impactful equipment like the bladder scanner.”
Antonia Love, a partner at Farleys Solicitors, which has offices in Preston, Wigan, Blackburn, Burnley, Rawtenstall and Manchester, said: “We are delighted to have been able to contribute towards the costs of this vital piece of equipment through our charitable foundation, which will make such a huge difference to those in our local communities who are facing a cancer journey.
“As long-standing supporters of Rosemere, we know what fantastic work the charity do and the positive impact that their work and fundraising has, so we are glad to have been able to help in this way.”
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