Supporters of the Friarage Hospital gathered at Northallerton Town Hall on Wednesday night to hear how a £200,000 eye surgery fundraising appeal will benefit patients in the area.

The Friends of the Friarage charity, which over the years has raised more than £5m for the Northallerton hospital, hopes to fund the purchase of cutting-edge surgical equipment through its Eye Appeal.

The machines would be used in the Friarage’s new £35m Surgical Hub, which is due to open next year, and would allow patients to undergo vitreo-retinal (VR) treatment in Northallerton rather than travelling to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Darlington and Stockton Times: Friends of the Friarage members at the launch of the new eye appeal Picture: DAVID LOCK

Wednesday night's launch event heard presentations from consultants James Dunbar and Ahmed Saad about the Friarage's transformed fortunes in recent years, and the benefit of reducing travel times for eye patients.

Mr Saad gave several anonymised examples of patients in Hambleton who more local treatment would help, including a man with type one diabetes who had required 54 visits to James Cook in just five years. Because patients cannot drive to appointments due to the nature of the treatment or surgery, they often struggle for transport, said Mr Saad.

Depending on the nature of the treatment, some patients have to hold uncomfortable postures for several hours afterwards, said Mr Saad, which makes long journeys difficult and counterproductive.

"I've been at James Cook for seven years and have done some clinics in the last two years at the Friarage, and I've realised how important it is to be closer to patients," he added.

Thirty per cent of the patients he operates on at James Cook are from the Hambleton and Richmondshire area, the audience was told.

Darlington and Stockton Times: The town hall in Northallerton was lit up green to mark the appeal launch Picture: DAVID LOCK

Susan Watson, co-chair of the Friends of the Friarage, said she is often asked why the NHS itself cannot provide the funding for such equipment. "Our role is completely non-political," she said. "Our role is to try and bring funds to the Friarage that the NHS can't deliver. Services we are talking about tonight are available to people who have to go to Middlesbrough. Our trustees are all of the view that it would be better for this service to be delivered here in Northallerton."

The appeal has been kickstarted with a £20,000 donation from the Friends of the Friarage shop in the hospital, plus £1,100 from Northallerton Rotary Club.

The charity is now urging the wider community to get involved by holding fundraising events or being sponsored to tackle personal challenges. Fundraising support is available.

More information about the appeal is available at www.friendsofthefriarage.org.uk/EyeAppeal2024 or email hello@friendsofthefriarage.org.uk. To donate to the appeal, see the JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/campaign/EyeAppeal2024. The charity can also be contacted by telephone on 01609 762013.