Thanks to the incredible generosity of Plymouth & District Leukaemia Fund (PDLF), patients across the South West will benefit from faster, more efficient treatment for complex blood cancers.

Cheque presentation with Wayne Thomas, Rob Wosley and the Haematology team to Plymouth Hospitals Charity, outside of Birch and Bracken ward. — Cheque presentation with Wayne Thomas, Rob Wosley and the Haematology team to Plymouth Hospitals Charity.

PDLF has donated £25,000 to Plymouth Hospitals Charity, funding a state-of-the-art scientific analyser for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. The new equipment will support patients undergoing stem cell transplants and CAR T-cell therapies; some of the most advanced treatments available for blood cancers.

The donation will enable the South West Peninsula Transplant Service’s specialist stem cell biomedical science team to purchase a Miltenyi MACSQuant10 Flow Cytometer. This vital piece of equipment allows blood cells to be measured on site during stem cell collection and enables precise counting of CAR T cells following therapy.

By bringing this testing in-house, results can be delivered more quickly, helping clinical teams make timely decisions and improving patient flow across services. It will also boost capacity on Birch Day Case Unit at Derriford Hospital, the Headland Day Unit in Truro where cells are collected, and Bracken High Dependency Unit, where patients receive their treatment.

The South West Peninsula Transplant Service is a long-standing collaboration between University Hospitals Plymouth, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, and Biovault Technical Limited. Based at Derriford Hospital, the service provides life-saving stem cell transplants and cellular therapies to patients from across the Peninsula, as well as accepting referrals from Exeter, North Devon and Taunton.

Dr Wayne Thomas, Consultant Haematologist and Chairman of PDLF, said:

“Having this machine on site allows us to expand our testing capacity and, crucially, gives us rapid results for patients receiving these life-saving therapies.”

Rob Wosley, HTA Designated Individual and SWPTS Quality Manager, added:

“PDLF have been stalwart supporters of the service throughout its existence, funding improvements to patient environments and essential equipment that helps our teams fight blood cancer and change lives. We are immensely grateful for their continued support.”

Corinne Smith, Head of Plymouth Hospitals Charity, said:

“We’re very grateful to the Plymouth & District Leukaemia Fund for this incredibly generous donation, helping to transform cancer care for local people. This will have a lasting impact for many patients and their loved ones.”

Donations to our hospitals enhance care for patients and staff by funding vital grants for new equipment like this machine, supporting local research, and creating better spaces for patients. If you would like to help us do even more, please make a donation today and help ensure our hospitals are the very best they can be for our community.