A PROSTATE cancer support group has donated £10,000 to Leighton Hospital.

The Leighton Hospital Prostate Cancer Support Group made the generous donation to support the purchase of ten additional SpeechMagic licenses.

The group was set up by Gary Steele MBE in 1999 following his own prostate cancer diagnosis and has now raised in excess of £500,000 over the past 16 years.

Of that figure, £350,000 has been donated into Mid Cheshire Hospitals to help the NHS support and treat cancer patients across the region.

The group was recently approached by the Crewe hospital's he Medical Imaging Department with a request to contribute towards the new fully integrated speech recognition engine within the new IT Radiology Information System at Leighton Hospital.

Mr Steele, Leighton Hospital Prostate Cancer Support Group chairman, said: "We really wanted to support the new system at Leighton Hospital as it will undoubtedly improve care for cancer patients.

“This new technology will advance diagnosis and treatment, and we're thrilled to be part of such fantastic progress.”

The intelligent speech engine speeds up workflow, eases the bottlenecks associated with medical transcription and reduces delays in issuing approved reports.

The voice recognition allows for real-time reporting and voice-controlled system navigation.

Installing this technology on the new Radiology Information System enables reports to be automatically added to patients' electronic records, reducing routine typing.

The system supports patients with prostate and all other cancers by increasing accuracy whilst reducing delays in access to medical reports and treatment.

The substantial donation will contribute toward the charity's goals of funding state-of-the-art medical equipment and enhancing every patients' experience.

Laura Riddle, charity manager, said: "I can't thank the Leighton Hospital Prostate Cancer Support Group enough for their amazing donation.

“Their contribution will allow the Medical Imaging Department to continue providing first-class care, and will be of benefit to so many patients".