LEIGHTON Hospital staff have embarked on a fund-raising bid to help buy a vital piece of equipment.

A national charity, CanSearch, has donated £3,500 to the hospital's Cervical Smear Test Service to buy a computer guided microscope for staff training.

CanSearch aims to raise money for cervical screening and promote awareness of how it can reduce the number of deaths from cervical cancer.

The full cost of the microscope is £7,000 and staff are starting their fund-raising bid with a sponsored walk in October along the Sandstone Trail.

Some £80,000 for the service has also been provided by South Cheshire Health Authority for extra equipment and four more staff.

Waiting times for smear test results had increased recently to more than three months through staff shortages due to sickness, maternity leave and staff relocating in the Cervical Screening Laboratory.

The money and extra staff have now helped to reduce times by more than half, to four weeks, which complies with national standards.

"We are very pleased to be reporting both an excellent improvement in out waiting times for smear test results, and the very kind donation from CanSearch which has set us well on the way to acquiring the computer guided microscope," said Dr Anne Nicol, consultant cytologist at Leighton Hospital.

"Help from any other source towards the purchase of this equipment would, needless to say, be greatly appreciated."

Anyone who would like to join in the walk or sponsor those taking part should contact Jean Briers, senior biomedical scientist on 01270 255141, ext. 2603.

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