PEOPLE with lung ailments will benefit from hospital equipment donated by a self-help group.

Durham and Derwentside Breathe Easy, part of the British Lung Foundation, has bought a spirometer and a portable nebuliser.

The spirometer, which measures lung function, will be in the respiratory department at Durham's University Hospital.

The nebuliser, which helps give drugs to respiratory patients, will be used in the community by acute respiratory assessment service nurses.

Group secretary Margy Kirchner said: "The group is a great way for people with similar conditions to get together, swap lots of beneficial information, have coffee, a social chat, arrange outings and discuss fundraising ideas.

"Because we use the services at University Hospital so often, we were really keen to put something back and are delighted to present the ward with a spirometer and nebuliser.

"We hope other patients get a lot of use out of the equipment and it helps ease their symptoms."

Respiratory nurse specialist Pauline Reynolds said: "The equipment will help to improve patients' symptoms and help nurses to provide the best care packages for individual patients.

"We are really grateful to Durham and Derwentside Breathe Easy for their contribution."

The group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at Lanchester Community Centre between 2pm and 4pm and is open to family, friends and carers of people with lung ailments.

It is holding a St Patrick's Day Ceilidh on Saturday, March 15, at 7.30pm.

For details and tickets, call Margy Kirchner on (01207) 506294.