VITAL heart monitoring will be bought for Ipswich Hospital after an unexpected late flood of donations for The Evening Star's Lifesaver appeal.

VITAL heart monitoring will be bought for Ipswich Hospital after an unexpected late flood of donations for The Evening Star's Lifesaver appeal.

Our readers and supporters have helped us raise £22,000 since December for a cardiac ultrasound machine for the hospital's accident and emergency department.

But further fundraising means we are now able to buy mobile cardiology monitoring units to further help people with heart problems in the county.

Ipswich medium Sue Knock donated £525 raised at a clairvoyant evening at Hintlesham.

And she is holding a second event at the Swallow Belstead Brook Hotel, in Ipswich, on Tuesday, June 5, which is expected to raise even more.

With other donations sent in since the £22,000 was reached, we are aiming to buy four of the mobile units, costing £1,500 each.

Jan Rowsell, hospital spokeswoman, said: “The monitors give an acute picture of whether people have problems with their heart.

“They are used to measure people's hearts over 24 or 48 hours, and are mainly used for young people.”

The cardiac machine quickly helps doctors diagnose acute cardiac conditions, including heart failure, and is expected to help around 1,000 people every year. It can also do other ultrasound scans besides those for the heart.

Currently, the hospital relies on older technology such as x-rays. It has other ultrasound machines in the radiology department but often A&E patients need a scan immediately and the new machine will be on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

N For tickets for the clairvoyant event in June, call Ms Knock on 01473 212812.

N Are you fundraising for a good cause? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk