Patients at Stepping Hill Hospital who need lung exercise tests are now benefitting from a new specialist medical treadmill to enhance their care, with a bit of help from Stockport County FC.

The local football heroes gave donations which have paid for the treadmill to boost the exercise equipment area in the hospital’s chest clinic.

The hospital’s respiratory physiology team carry out exercise lung function tests for patients with many conditions, including cancer and respiratory problems.

The new treadmill forms a key part of these exercise tests, which help determine causes of breathlessness, and also improve the delivery of surgical services by guiding surgeons and anaesthetists in their decisions, predicting what level of care will be needed during surgery and recovery.

The lung exercise area has recently been revamped and the new treadmill is in place where patients can have local tests. Assessments from the service also help patients on Greater Manchester’s new Prehab4Cancer and Recovery Programme improve their preparation and recovery for their surgery.

Stockport County FC have donated almost £95,000 to Stockport NHS Charity so far, with £12,000 going toward the treadmill. The local football team’s kit now displays the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust logo as well, with sales from their shirts raising money for the charity.

Karen Lewis-Jones, lead for Respiratory Physiology at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said “The new treadmill will be an amazing enhancement to the care our team provides. We’re so pleased to have this new equipment to support our patients.  We’d like to say a big thank you to Stockport County FC and everyone who has bought a shirt or made a donation for their fantastic support.”