Old and out of date hospital equipment is giving pets in Hull a new lease of life.

Surgical instruments, wound care packs and disposable sheets are just some of the items which have been donated to the PDSA Pet Hospital in Brunswick Avenue this week.

As modern medicine has advanced, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has found itself with a range of items which are no longer required or have passed their used by dates.

Instead of throwing them away, however, the Trust has delivered four boxes full of items to PDSA veterinary nurses and surgeons, who will now use these items to care for sick and injured animals.

Debbie Mann, Service Improvement Facilitator within theatres at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“With the introduction of keyhole surgery and other advanced techniques, some of the equipment we use during surgery has become out of date or is no longer needed in our hospitals.

“Whilst these items may no longer be useful to us, they are still in good working order, so we were really pleased when the PDSA said they would be able to accept them. Not only are we reducing waste and saving the charity money, but we’re also helping people within our local community in a way which they wouldn’t necessarily expect.”

Lucy, PDSA veterinary nurse team leader at the Brunswick Avenue pet hospital says;

“PDSA is a charity which receives no central funding, so we rely entirely on donations to help us do our work.

“The hospitals’ donation of equipment is just amazing. We operate on many different companion pets, from small birds through to Great Danes, and we have a limited budget for surgical equipment. This donation will not only enable us to continue operating on pets in need, but also provides us with additional equipment to support practice and staff training.”