A KEIGHLEY company has donated sedation equipment for use in the new Airedale Hospital Emergency Department.

The so-called inhalation sedation flowmeter provides the patient with a continuous supply of gas and air through a nasal mask, and – unlike with the existing system – the concentration can be adjusted depending on the person's needs.

The equipment – donated by RA Medical Services – will mainly be used to administer pain relief to children with minor injuries whose assessment or treatment could cause discomfort, such as stitching a bad cut or applying dressings to burns.

But it will also benefit other patients including dementia sufferers, who can find various pain relief methods difficult to tolerate.

Dr Richard Keeble, a consultant and the paediatric lead for emergency medicine at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: "The new equipment will mean we can offer pain relief to a much wider group of children and vastly improve the quality of care for young patients in particular in our Emergency Department.

"It will hopefully reduce the need for them to be given a general anaesthetic.”

Janet Pickles, chairman of RA Medical Services, said: “When I heard about the new Emergency Department I approached the team to see if they would need any additional equipment and they invited me to visit the hospital and see for myself the plans for the new unit and how the work was progressing.

“I realised that the equipment we supply could make a real difference to the quality of care that patients, particularly children, would receive so we decided to offer an inhalation sedation flowmeter and associated equipment free of charge.”

Earlier this year a £100,000 appeal was launched – backed by the Keighley News – to buy desperately needed resources for the new unit, which is due to open this autumn.

Visit airedale-trust.nhs.uk/charity for further information and details of how to support the appeal.

To donate, text EDAP50 £5 to 70070 or go to justgiving.com/airedalehospitalemergencydepartmentappeal.