GENEROUS volunteers on the tea bar at York Hospital have donated £6,000 worth of vital equipment to one of the wards.

The Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) has paid for four automated syringe pumps - electronic pumps used to regulate the flow of drugs or fluids into a patient - from the profits of the tea bar in the hospital's outpatients department.

The four pumps are expensive because they administer extremely accurate doses of drugs or fluids to patients. Nurses need separate training in order to operated the pumps.

Jayne Pateraki, matron for the medical directorate, supervises the quality of care of patients on the medical wards.

She said: "We really appreciate the fundraising work carried out by the WRVS, they are unsung heroes.

"The addition of four new syringe pumps will enable us to enhance nursing care on the medical wards.

"They deliver accurate dosages of intravenous fluids or drugs to patients with a variety of conditions ranging from dehydration to diabetes."

The hard-working WRVS volunteers will be working on a new tea bar when the hospital's new detail development and reception area opens in July.

Lorraine Houlison, WRVS manager, said: "The volunteers are looking forward to the opening of the new facilities. We will continue to provide light refreshments and donate the profits to the hospital."

Updated: 09:19 Tuesday, April 15, 2003