Patients at Saint Francis Hospice will no longer have to be taken to hospital for their heart rates to be monitored on an Electrocardiogram (ECG) machine thanks to a donation from a rotary club.

Brentwood à Becket Rotary Club donated £3,986 from money raised through the LV=Brentwood Half Marathon that it organises and on February 24 Rotarians Mike Capper and Neville A Brown handed over the ECG machine, a Philips Pagewriter T20, to the hospice.

This is the first time the hospice has had an ECG machine and it will be used by doctors and senior nurses to monitor heart rates and rhythms, which is required before prescribing certain medications.

Sue Lakey, Inpatient Unit Manager, said: "We are grateful to Brentwood à Becket Rotary Club for its continued support and generosity to the hospice.

"The ECG machine is a valuable tool to help us with diagnosis and symptom relief and it is portable and easy to use.

"Previously we would have had to send patients to hospital, which is not ideal when their condition is deteriorating or they are so poorly."

Rotarian Mike, who is Chairman of the Community Services Committee, said: "We are delighted to have been able to buy the ECG machine for Saint Francis Hospice as it will have an immediate positive impact on patient care and allow staff continual access to this equipment.

"Our rotary club is dedicated to supporting the work of charities in our community and abroad, particularly contributing to equipment or service developments that can make a real difference to peoples' lives."