Equipment donated by a group of fundraisers to a community nursing service is set to benefit many patients with lower leg conditions.

The Friends Supporting Lowestoft Healthcare – formerly known as the Friends of Lowestoft Hospital – presented the equipment called Toe Dopplers to the East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) Clinical Services department, which is based at Kirkley Mill surgery and provides NHS community health services in the local area.

Members of the Friends committee were at the presentation to see the equipment demonstrated by members of the Community Nursing team.

ECCH Clinical Services co-ordinator, Kate Spence, said: 'We are extremely grateful to the Friends Supporting Lowestoft Healthcare for giving us the funding for these Toe Dopplers.

'They are a valuable resource for checking blood pressure in the lower limb particularly when the leg is swollen. Access to the Toe Doppler will increase the number of patients with lower leg conditions who we can safely begin treating with compression bandages and prevent delays in leg ulcer treatment.'

Pat Rayner, chairman of The Friends, said: 'The leg equipment given to ECCH cost £6,500 and we understand that the NHS were unlikely to be able to fund these, so we are pleased to be able to help.

'With the closure of the Lowestoft Hospital our charity is able to provide funding to support other health care requests from doctor's surgeries and health centres in Lowestoft.'

Anyone needing to find out more about what the charity has to offer should e-mail Mrs Rayner via patatsunrise@aol.com