£1m bid to fund new respiratory unit for Telford

A £1m appeal to help pay for specialist equipment for a new respiratory centre in Telford has been launched.

Currently, some patients with severe respiratory conditions receive care across different hospital sites or travel outside the area for treatment. The Breathing Life campaign would support a dedicated Respiratory Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital.

The equipment will include machines to improve diagnosis and to help shorten hospital stays, Friends of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital said.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust said the centre would bring specialist assessment, diagnosis and treatment under one roof for patients from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales.

Dr Saskia Jones-Perrott, divisional medical director for medicine and emergency care at the hospital trust, said the centre, which is due to open in spring 2029, was a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".

She said bringing specialist teams and facilities together could shorten hospital stays and reduce unnecessary admissions.

Patient Amelia lives with severe asthma and a rare immune deficiency and she said the facility could make a significant difference.

She said: "A dedicated centre locally would bring the specialist care and equipment we need closer to home."

For Amelia a simple cold could quickly develop into a serious lung infection, often leading to lengthy hospital stays.

"I don't want to be known just for being unwell all the time. I want a normal life. But more than that, I want a good life," she said.

"Anything big or small matters - it's about comfort, quality of life, and securing up-to-date equipment for us now and for future generations."

Jones-Perrott said 30% of patients had some form of respiratory illness.

"If it doesn't affect someone immediately close to you, then it will affect somebody you know," she said.

The money will pay for a range of additional kit, including equipment to carry out a bronchoscopy, which is a telescope test which can look further into people's lungs.

It will also fund a procedure called an EBUS, which is an ultrasound guided technique which enables samples to be taken from deeper in the lungs.

Jones-Perrott said the hospitals were also "increasingly looking to use robots in diagnostic procedures".

She said: "When done properly is often the quickest way of achieving a diagnosis."

The appeal was launched as the Friends of SaTH celebrated its 60th anniversary. The charity said it had raised more than £10m for equipment and facilities at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital since 1966.

Friends' chairman Ian Gilmore said: "I think the fact that we've raised that amount of money shows the sort of support that we've had over the years from Shropshire and Mid Wales."

He also said the hospital had agreed to name the new facility The Friends Respiratory Centre.

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