Welwyn Hatfield patients on Target to breathe easier

PATIENTS suffering from lung disease received a welcome donation thanks to a support group and the WHT's Target Stamp scheme.

The QE2 Hospital in WGC now has a new pulse oximeter, courtesy of Breathe Easy Welwyn & Hatfield, the local support network of the British Lung Foundation.

The device, which usually costs around �150, measures pulse rates and oxygen saturation in a patient's blood.

But after collecting Target Stamps, printed every week in the WHT, the group knocked �43 off the price.

The new oximeter was presented to Sarah Myers, manager of the QE2's respiratory ward, by Breathe Easy's branch chairman Reg Franklin.

"This is our way of helping someone who might be from our group," said Mr Franklin.

"Everyone at these meetings suffers from some form of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), and it's very difficult for some of them."

Claire Wotton, a respiratory specialist nurse at the QE2, said: "When we're giving drugs to a patient, we need to make sure they're getting the right level of oxygen.

"The oximeter allows us to measure how much oxygen is in a patient's blood, and gives a patient reassurance that we're giving them the right amount."

Breath Easy treasurer Hazel Laming said: "The stamps have paid for a third of the cost for something that is essential to patients suffering from lung disease.

"We will certainly be collecting more."

Each Target Stamp is worth a penny, and works in a similar way to supermarket voucher schemes.

After collecting enough, they can then be redeemed to buy essential equipment for any school, club or charity.

Breathe Easy Welwyn & Hatfield meets on the first Monday of every month at the Jim McDonald Centre in High View, Hatfield. For more information, contact Hazel Laming on 01707 264756.

* Don't miss out on collecting Target Stamps every week in the WHT.