The Friends of St Cross has recently donated a video capture device for use in Ophthalmic Surgery at the hospital.
This new equipment is used to record examples of delicate operations which helps the team prepare for further cases of specialist operations and so enables an expansion of the services provided at St Cross.
Theatre Sister, Melanie Speed, explained that “by capturing the detail of these operations as they are performed we are able to improve our techniques, which in turn leads a better service for our patients. In addition to undertaking cataract surgery, our team deliver a wide range of procedures, and Consultant Surgeon Mr Pagliarini undertakes all his surgery for the Trust at St Cross. We are most grateful for the support provided by the Friends, who not only donated this equipment but also assist as ‘helping hands’ during cataract operations, which are now performed during 3 sessions per week. The volunteers are often patients who have had this surgery themselves. They provide comfort and assurance to patients before and during the procedure – encouraging the patient to squeeze the volunteer’s hand if they need to communicate with the team if for example they need to pause the procedure to scratch their nose! The volunteers are most welcome members of the team, which delivers a model of care which is fully endorsed by the Trust and is being adopted by other hospitals in England.”
Photo:- The theatre team with a monitor placed above the video recorder – By George Ballard.
L-R Hazel Mercado (Staff Nurse) , Melanie Speed (Theatre Sister), Peggy Smith (Friends Volunteer), Sara Cumberland (Operating Department Practitioner) , Sergio Pagliarini (Consultant Surgeon), Dr Jesse Panthagani, Sheena Jomon (Staff Nurse) and Shabina Sheikh (Advanced Theatre Practitioner).