A VITAL piece of equipment for Stratford hospital, bought by a £10,000 donation from the town's charities, was handed over by mayor of Stratford, Juliet Short, at a ceremony last Thursday.

The hospital's League of Friends asked for the grant from the Guild and College Estates to pay for a hystereoscope, which will be used by GPs in the Ablation Clinic at the hospital for diagnostic and investigative work.

Nancy Hempstead, the chief nurse and acting chief executive of South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, said she was extremely grateful for the generous donation.

"This is an excellent example of partnership working providing further improvements for the hospital and this equipment will certainly be an invaluable asset to our local services," she said.