Parker Donations Help Two Devon Charities to Provide Improved Treatment to Patients

Staff at the North Devon Hospice hosted members of Parker’s IPDE for a facility tour.

Barnstaple palliative care centre and Devon air ambulance service use contributions to purchase new equipment.

The Instrumentation Products Division Europe (IPDE) of Parker Hannifin, the global leader in motion and control technologies, recently announced that it had made donations to help the non-profit North Devon Hospice obtain new medical equipment for patient treatment and the Devon Air Ambulance to obtain a tool to help save patients’ lives. 

The donations are part of the company’s global 2022 Grant Program, through which Parker team members support selected non-profit organizations in the local area. The charitable grants are dispersed from a central budget provided by the Parker-Hannifin Foundation. The 190 Parker IPDE team members from Barnstaple voted to split the grant equally between two local charities: the North Devon Hospice and the Devon Air Ambulance. 

Parker’s contribution enabled the Deer Park-based North Devon Hospice to purchase a piece of equipment called the AccuVein^® Vein Finder. Stephen Roberts, Chief Executive at the North Devon Hospice, and his staff, recently hosted a group of Parker team members for a facility tour, including a first-hand look at their new equipment. 

The technology allows North Devon Hospice nurses to see a real-time map of peripheral veins on the skin’s surface, using a handheld device. Using Near-infrared (NIR) imaging, the nursing team can now accurately locate veins, minimize bruising and reduce healing time. 

“There has been so much positive feedback about the Vein Finder. The nurses say it is a huge improvement to patient care,” said Rachel Parkin, Trust & Grants Officer for the North Devon Hospice’s fundraising team. “When patients are admitted to our inpatient unit, many are in pain, so being able to administer pain relief promptly and comfortably is essential to reduce anxiety levels for the patient and their loved ones.” 

The second charity to contribute from Parker’s donation was Devon Air Ambulance (DAA). Tracy Owen, Corporate Engagement Manager at the DAA, commented: “Thanks to the Parker grant we received, we were able to update one of our video laryngoscopes – a unit that has been proven to be extremely safe to use and effective at enabling the correct and quick placement of tubes into patient airways.” 

She continued: “The video laryngoscope is a device that enables clinicians to have an enhanced view of the patient's airway. It provides a clear and larger image of the airway, especially in scenarios where it is partially blocked or anatomically difficult to secure. To fit our fleet of emergency vehicles, we would be looking in future to fund the purchase of four new video laryngoscope units, ensuring that our team always has the same, best tool to hand.” 

“Parker provides a way for us to give something back to our community, which our team members really appreciate. We believe that donating to local charities can help make the world a better place,” says Jeff Ford, Business Unit Manager at Parker Instrumentation Products Division Europe. “All of us are proud to support the North Devon Hospice and the Devon Air Ambulance, and we are incredibly fortunate to have a such dedicated nursing team, air ambulance doctors and paramedics right here in the county.” 

To make a donation to the North Devon Hospice, visit:

https://www.northdevonhospice.org.uk/support-us/make-a-donation 

To make a donation to the Devon Air Ambulance, visit:

https://www.daat.org/Appeal/donate-now

Published: 11th August 2023