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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Hospital pet cash plan under fire | Hospital pet cash plan under fire |
| (5 days later) | |
| A hospital in Suffolk has been criticised for a fundraising plan to offer radiotherapy to family pets. | A hospital in Suffolk has been criticised for a fundraising plan to offer radiotherapy to family pets. |
| Ipswich Hospital proposes using equipment unused at weekends to treat pets with cancer in Saturday clinics. | Ipswich Hospital proposes using equipment unused at weekends to treat pets with cancer in Saturday clinics. |
| The hospital aims to raise £50,000 a year from the idea to help pay off debts of more than £24m. | The hospital aims to raise £50,000 a year from the idea to help pay off debts of more than £24m. |
| The Patients Association condemned it as "horrifying" but the hospital said no patients would be disadvantaged and there would be no infection risk. | The Patients Association condemned it as "horrifying" but the hospital said no patients would be disadvantaged and there would be no infection risk. |
| Hospital spokeswoman Jan Rowsell said the idea was among 700 put forward by staff to raise funds. | Hospital spokeswoman Jan Rowsell said the idea was among 700 put forward by staff to raise funds. |
| Do we really have to resign ourselves to such desperate measures? Katherine Murphy Patients Association | Do we really have to resign ourselves to such desperate measures? Katherine Murphy Patients Association |
| She said the hospital was considering teaming up with a veterinary school. If the idea became a reality the hospital would use stringent infection control procedures. | She said the hospital was considering teaming up with a veterinary school. If the idea became a reality the hospital would use stringent infection control procedures. |
| "Everything will be covered in anti-allergy drapes and hygiene will be of the utmost importance," she said. | "Everything will be covered in anti-allergy drapes and hygiene will be of the utmost importance," she said. |
| "The radiotherapy room would be thoroughly deep cleaned after each session and the costs we would charge would include very strong, robust cleaning and infection control measures." | "The radiotherapy room would be thoroughly deep cleaned after each session and the costs we would charge would include very strong, robust cleaning and infection control measures." |
| She pledged to thoroughly discuss this idea with patient-user groups if it were adopted. | She pledged to thoroughly discuss this idea with patient-user groups if it were adopted. |
| 'Desperate measures' | 'Desperate measures' |
| But Patients Association spokeswoman Katherine Murphy said she was horrified by the idea. | But Patients Association spokeswoman Katherine Murphy said she was horrified by the idea. |
| "Do we really have to resign ourselves to such desperate measures as to begin treating animals where people are treated?" she said. | "Do we really have to resign ourselves to such desperate measures as to begin treating animals where people are treated?" she said. |
| "Is this really the way forward? | "Is this really the way forward? |
| "I hope this idea never gets off the ground. I think it is a disaster waiting to happen. Surely there are other ways of identifying areas where costs could be reduced?" | "I hope this idea never gets off the ground. I think it is a disaster waiting to happen. Surely there are other ways of identifying areas where costs could be reduced?" |
| Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "These are the lengths the NHS is being driven to by the Ggovernment's financial mismanagement and the way deficits are impacting on hospitals. | Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "These are the lengths the NHS is being driven to by the Ggovernment's financial mismanagement and the way deficits are impacting on hospitals. |
| "One would normally expect NHS equipment to be fully occupied providing services to NHS patients." | "One would normally expect NHS equipment to be fully occupied providing services to NHS patients." |