(L-R: Dr Ismail Ughratdar, Consultant Neurosurgeon; Matthew Stride; Sir Doug Ellis)

Former Aston Villa FC chairman Sir Doug Ellis OBE has made a donation worth an incredible £125,000 to enable QEHB Charity to purchase a Nexstim brain scanner.

Yesterday, Monday 1 February 2016, Sir Doug Ellis OBE visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) to present Ismail Ughratdar, Consultant Neurosurgeon, and Mike Hammond, Chief Executive of QEHB Charity, with a cheque for £100,000, which is worth £125,000 with government Gift Aid taken into account.

Sir Doug decided to give to QEHB Charity’s brain surgery fund after Mr Ughratdar performed an operation in January 2016 to remove a brain tumour from 26-year-old Matthew Stride, the son of Sir Doug’s close friend and former operations director of Aston Villa, Steve Stride.

The money will pay for a special brain scanner machine, which was demonstrated on a volunteer for Sir Doug when he came to present the cheque along with Matthew, Steve, and Matthew’s mum Carolyn.

Speaking about the importance of this cause to him, Sir Doug said: “I am proud to be associated with the QE, which is one of the best and most advanced hospitals in the country, and honoured to see for myself the full value of this wonderful piece of equipment. It’s amazing to have Matthew, the real patient, sitting next to me – what’s happening on that screen was happening in his head.”

Sir Doug’s donation will enable QEHB Charity to purchase a Nexstim ‘Navigated Brain Stimulation’ (NBS) brain scanner – making the QE’s neurosurgery department the first in the UK to purchase one. The innovative device allows doctors to perform a pre-surgery brain scan on their patients, which they then use during the operation as a ‘map’ of the patient’s brain. This is much safer and more accurate than the only current alternatives for this type of brain surgery, which include an ‘awake craniotomy’, wherein the patient remains conscious while the surgeon operates on their brain and is asked to sing or speak throughout so that the doctor knows they haven’t ‘gone too far’. Matthew was able to have a pre-surgery scan using the Nexstim device, which was being trialled at the QE at the time. Following Matthew’s successful surgery, Sir Doug knew he wanted to enable other patients to benefit from this revolutionary piece of equipment, which is worth £250,000.

Mr Ismail Ughratdar said: “Having access to NBS will be an invaluable addition to neurosurgery at the QE. Because the scan is a non-invasive- and relatively quick and easy- procedure, this will undoubtedly improve the experiences of patients, both in terms of the safety of the operation and the recovery time required after surgery. It will reduce the risk of strokes or patients losing the ability to speak. We are all incredibly grateful to Sir Doug for his kind donation.”

Mike Hammond, Chief Executive of QEHB Charity, added: “We are absolutely bowled over by the generosity of this donation, which will directly benefit a huge number of brain surgery patients who are treated at the QE.”

QEHB Charity provides equipment, research and facilities to benefit patients that go over and above what the NHS is able to provide. To donate to QEHB Charity or view the charity’s ongoing appeals, please visit www.qehb.org

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