Royal Devon Hospitals Charity's quiz raffle will fund tattoo-free radiotherapy cameras at the RD&E, part of a Light Beam Appeal for 1,800 patients a year.

Money from the raffle at Royal Devon Hospitals Charity’s next quiz will go to its Light Beam Appeal, which is raising money for camera equipment in the radiotherapy department at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital in Wonford.

The charity’s event calendar lists a Curry and Quiz Night at the Ganges Indian Restaurant in Exeter on Thursday 1 October. Vouchers donated to the charity will be one of the raffle prizes. Debbie Allen of the charity wrote to us on 29 September:

“The vouchers will be used as a raffle prize in our upcoming quiz and the proceeds will go towards our Light Beam Appeal.”

The calendar does not give a start time or ticket price, and the event’s own page was not loading when we checked on 29 September. The charity takes questions on 01392 402040 or at rduh.charity@nhs.net.

Updated 30 September: the Curry and Quiz Night no longer appears on the charity’s event calendar, and its event page now returns an error. The charity has not said why. If you plan to go on 1 October, ring 01392 402040 first to check it is still going ahead.

What the appeal is paying for

According to the appeal page, the money is for Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT). The system uses light beams and ceiling cameras to build a 3D outline of a patient’s body. Treatment pauses automatically if the patient moves, and the system picks up changes such as swelling or weight loss that affect how well the treatment works.

A radiographer positions a patient on the couch of a linear accelerator while ceiling-mounted cameras project red beams onto the patient's body
A patient positioned under the SGRT ceiling cameras. The charity says the red beams show the optical monitoring and are not visible in reality. Photo: supplied by Royal Devon Hospitals Charity

The charity says patients are often fitted with immobilisation devices at present, including closed-face masks that “can be uncomfortable and claustrophobic”, and some need permanent tattoos to guide the X-rays. With SGRT, patients can be positioned without tattoos, and closed masks can give way to less restrictive open-face ones.

The appeal would pay for:

  • SGRT cameras and software in the three linear accelerator (linac) treatment rooms at the RD&E
  • an additional camera in the radiotherapy CT room, for breathing monitoring during motion-controlled treatment

The charity says the cameras will be used in the treatment of 1,800 cancer patients a year in Devon. It explains why charity money is needed: SGRT “is not currently funded by the NHS because it is not essential to the success of radiotherapy”. Jennifer Wilson, Lead Brachytherapy Physicist, is quoted on the appeal page:

“This is about enhancing patient care and going over and above what the NHS can currently provide.”

The appeal page does not state its target or how much has been raised so far. It carries a fundraising scale that runs from £50,000 to £650,000.

What it means for you

  • Going to the quiz: it was listed for 1 October at the Ganges Indian Restaurant in Exeter, but has since dropped off the charity’s calendar. Ring 01392 402040 before you go.
  • Giving directly: donations go through the Light Beam Appeal page, which suggests amounts of £5, £10, £20 or £50.
  • Holding your own event: the charity asks fundraisers to get in touch through its events page.