NGNPUK – Fundraising for Syringe Drivers

The Club was given a most enlightening presentation by Louise Nicholls from NPNGUK (No Gain No Pain) on the need for syringe drivers and raising money to provide them where the NHS are unable to fund them. A syringe driver is a device used in palliative care. It is a box that is attached to the patient by a needle, through which drugs can be administered giving a constant flow of pain relief. Without these devices patients have to wait for a nurse to attend to administer countless injections every time they are in pain. This causes distress to the patient and their family. It means a lot of waiting about when time is crucial for someone in pain. These devices can also help people remain at home instead of needing to go into hospital or a hospice in their final days as their pain can be successfully managed. Each driver costs around £1100 exclusive of VAT Louise explained how the fundraising charity NGNPUK had been set up following the death of her father who in his final days had benefitted greatly from a syringe driver but it had been difficult to get hold of because there were so few usable drivers within the NHS. Since then the fundraising work of the charity has increased the number available from 19 to 61.