YORK-based children's health services have been boosted by £47,000-worth of highly-specialised equipment.

The new technology includes special anaesthetic and monitoring equipment for children, and aims to significantly improve the service provided by the York and North Yorkshire Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Centre.

The equipment has been bought with the help of £10,000 from the Yorkshire Children's Hospital Fund, £12,000 from the Friends of York Hospitals, and £25,000 from Lodestone Patient Care, a private company that manages the MRI centre at York District Hospital (YDH).

Howard Rose, administrator for the Yorkshire Children's Hospital Fund, said: "We are delighted to be able to make a substantial donation to this particular project.

"The fund is dedicated to improving paediatric services in Yorkshire's hospitals and over the last ten years has donated a total of £1.5 million.

"In particular, we aim to provide medical equipment, ensuring that any sick child is treated locally, thus avoiding additional strains and stresses on parents and relatives, who may have to travel long distances to see their loved ones."

Dr Julie Cooper, consultant radiologist at YDH, said: "This is a marvellous local development which will greatly reduce the stress and anxiety for both children and their parents when a child needs to undergo an MRI examination.

"The availability of paediatric anaesthesia at the York and North Yorkshire MRI Centre will avoid the need for children to be referred elsewhere for their MRI scans."

David Meal, chairman of the Friends of York Hospitals, said: "We are pleased to be able to help provide equipment which will benefit children needing a scan under anaesthetic so that they no longer need to travel further afield for this service."

Dr Roger Skilton, consultant anaesthetist at York District Hospital said: "This equipment is essential for the safe provision of any anaesthetic within the MRI centre. We are very grateful to those charities that have provided generous funding for the purchase."

Updated: 10:01 Friday, December 14, 2001