£39k gives Highland patients new kidney treatment

Patients in the Highlands needing to see urologists faced having to make a long trip to Edinburgh for treatment. Picture: Jon Savage

A massive £39,000 donation has allowed doctors at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to purchase a much-needed urology stone laser.

It means patients can now be treated using state-of-the art technology within the Highland area.

The huge sum of money was raised by Friends of Raigmore, who handed over the cash this week.

Dr Sara Ramsey, consultant urologist, said she was delighted at the generous donation and the difference it will make to Highland patients.

She said: “Laser is the standard treatment of choice for the majority of patients who require surgery to remove kidney stones.

“Before we got this piece of kit in Raigmore the procedure was much more invasive, patients would need longer to recover and in some cases patients would have to go to Edinburgh to receive treatment.

“Now we will be able to access stones anywhere in the renal tract and deal with them. Our patients will have a shorter stay in hospital, there will be a reduced risk of infection, less travel and it will also free up staff time allowing us to see more patients.”

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About 90 patients a year will now be able to go home more quickly to recover rather than stay in hospital and about 37 patients will now no longer have to travel outwith the Highlands for treatment in the capital.

Dr Ramsey said: “I am incredibly grateful for this very generous donation from the Friends. The benefit this piece of kit will have for our Urology patients cannot be underestimated.”

Christina Cameron, chair of the Friends of Raigmore, said: “The Friends of Raigmore fundraise for the benefit of both patients and staff and we are delighted that we have been able to donate this amount to the hospital, it has been the largest fundraising effort in our history.

“Our shop in the hospital has been opened for over two years now but it has been doing incredibly well which has allowed us to buy the equipment.

“I’m incredibly happy that we have been able to do this for Urology Team and that it will be of benefit to both patients and staff.”

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