Hospital offers revolutionary spinal surgery -- thanks to Sutton on Sea couple

Ruth and Tony Knowles have raised more than £176,000 for the skilled team of neurosurgeons at Hull Royal Infirmary in memory of their daughter, Emma-Jayne, who died of a brain tumour two weeks before her 23rd birthday in 1998.

The couple were awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours List of 2014. And although Tony sadly died last year, Ruth has continued to generate funds.

Now the NHS Humber Health Partnership has announced that it has been able to buy new, state-of-the-art equipment for patients at the hospital with spinal disorders and degenerative spinal conditions.

And it’s all thanks to the money raised by the Knowles family and also the independent hospital charity, WISHH (Working Independently Supporting Hull Hospitals).

Ruth went along to the hospital, which is run by the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, to learn all about the investment in a mobile imaging system, complete with a special set and scope.

She said: “Every year, I speak to the neurosurgical team and I ask them what equipment they might be looking to purchase that year, and what would benefit patients most.

"They come back with a list of equipment, we have a chat and then we look to make that happen.

“It’s always nice to be invited back to Hull Royal. It’s fantastic to see the equipment that’s been purchased and hear about what it can do.

"But it’s also great just to see all the neurosurgical team, who are such a fantastic, dedicated group of people.

“We’ve been fundraising now for 27 years and, in that time, we’ve raised a total of £176,081.50.

"Tony and I always said that fundraising won’t bring Emma-Jayne back, but what we can do is help the neurosurgical team to help other people.”

A year ago, Ruth even presented her husband’s British Empire Medal to hospital staff in recognition of their work, describing them as “worth their weight in gold”.

The new equipment means the neurosurgeons can now perform endoscopic spine surgery, which is a minimally invasive technique where a small probe and camera are used through a keyhole incision to perform surgery as a day-case procedure.

Consultant Shuaibu Dambatta, who performs complex spinal surgeries at the hospital, said: “Our patients should feel confident that they will benefit from the latest surgical advances.

“Instead of making large incisions, we can now make much smaller cuts, less than the size of a finger, to operate on the spine. So it’s a much better, safer and less traumatic experience for patients.

“As the cuts are so small, the surgery is far less invasive and safer for patients, most of whom are now able to go home that same day to begin their recovery.”

Sue Lockwood, who is the chair of the WISHH charity, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to support the Knowles family and the neurosurgical department to make this new minimally invasive procedure a reality in Hull.

"This is a procedure which will benefit many patients in the coming years, and it is only thanks to the support and generosity of local people that the WISHH charity has the funds to support such initiatives.”

Consultant neurosurgeon Chittoor Rajaraman said: “At a time when the NHS continues to face significant challenges, particularly from a financial perspective, WISHH and the Knowles family have gone above and beyond to help us secure this vital equipment.

“We are extremely grateful for their contribution.”