ROTARY Clubs across the region are rallying around a fund-raising appeal to ensure that a North-East hospital has a state-of-the-art specialist heart scanner.

Since last May, South Cleveland Heart Fund has been trying to raise up to £1m to enhance heart scanning equipment at James Cook University Hospital, which serves a population of 1.6m people from Sunderland down to Thirsk and from Whitehaven across to Whitby.

While the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is using mainstream NHS funding to replace an ageing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner at James Cook Hospital the Heart Fund has stepped in to try to raise money to upgrade another of the MRI scanners so it can be used for more sophisticated heart scans.

The upgraded scanner will also increase the number of specialist heart scans at the hospital.

The South Cleveland Heart Fund are already half way there in their bid to raise £1m but now Rotary Clubs in the region have joined forces with the Heart Fund in a bid to push the final total past the finishing line.

Mike Overy, from Middlesbrough Erimus Rotary Club, said: “We are mobilising Rotary Clubs right across the region and the response from other clubs has been tremendous. We have 22 clubs from Weardale and Durham City down to Whitby, Wensleydale and Darlington which are getting involved in our appeal.”

On March 13 the Loving Hearts Scanner Appeal raffle will be launched with the top prize being a Skoda Citigo car donated by Middlesbrough Skoda main dealers Derek Slack.

Tickets will be sold over a period of 11 weeks leading up to a gala charity dinner at the Thistle Hotel in Middlesbrough when the prize draw for the car and other prizes will be drawn.

During the launch weekend rotary club members will be in selling raffle tickets in branches of Boots across the region.

Mr Overy said: “The South Cleveland Heart Fund needs around £500,000 and we aim to make a big hole in that total.”

Dr Adrian Davies, retired cardiologist and chairman of the South Cleveland Heart Fund, said: “We are urging everyone to get behind us to hit out target and help ensure out heart unit stays at the leading edge of cardiac advances.”

“We are currently only doing about 500 heart MRI scans a year at James Cook. With the upgrade we should be able to do 1,500 to 2,000 a year,” he added.

Cheques payable to SCHF and marked Cardiac MRI appeal should be sent to treasurer Keith Robson, 117, Roman Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough TS5 5QB or donations can be made via the SCHF ‘Just Giving’ website at schf.org.uk

Email mikeovery@ntlworld.com or call 07954-689-662 to donate raffle prizes or reserve tickets for the gala dinner.