Farleys’ Foundation funds charity’s purchase of game-changing bladder scanner

Men suffering from Lower Urinary Tract symptoms such as repeated night waking to urinate, urgency to urinate and incontinence – have a new ally in a highly specialised mobile bladder scanner, bought with funds from the Farleys Foundation, a charitable foundation set up by the partners and staff of local law firm Farleys Solicitors.

The new £11,341 scanner will be for Chorley and South Ribble Hospital’s Urology Department and was bought by Rosemere Cancer Foundation with funds from the Verathon BladderScan i10, is a second scanner for the department with its acquisition enabling faster, enhanced diagnosis and assessment, which in turn means earlier and more effective treatment for patients.

Urology nurse specialist Grace Fletcher said: “LUTS is highly prevalent among men over 60 with up to 80 per cent 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.”

Grace added:“Early and effective intervention through accurate diagnosis and assessment can dramatically improve these outcomes. We anticipate the new scanner will benefit around 600 prostate cancer patients annually as well as other patients with LUTS, improving their experience through access to quicker diagnosis and treatment.”

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, 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.”

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, including that at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

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.