WHEN the £29m Oxford Heart Centre opened its doors almost 12 months ago, it was heralded as a centre of excellence on our doorstep.

Now, one year on and 30,000 patients later, the unit is fulfilling that promise.

Boosted by more than £800,000 in charitable donations, with many contributions from local people, the unit has been able to go above and beyond what the NHS offers as standard.

Donations, bequests and major events such as dinners, auctions, abseils and walks have helped boost the charity coffers for the unit, but the fundraising efforts are not over yet.

The centre still needs your help to be able to go that extra mile for Oxfordshire patients.

Dr Adrian Banning is consultant cardiologist and chairman of the Cardiac Directorate at the John Radcliffe.

He said the long-awaited dedicated heart unit allowed his teams to see patients more quickly and with better outcomes.

Dr Banning added: “In the last year we have had something like 5,000 inpatients through the hospital and an average of 30,000 patients overall.

“It’s a huge number.

“What this hospital has allowed us to do is treat patients quicker and safer. The environment is also better for staff.

“I’m not saying the old unit was awful, but this is so much better.”

The unit provides patients with their own room to offer maximum privacy.

But being in hospital can be a lonely business, so a special garden has been designed so patients can grab a breath of fresh air while chatting to staff and other patients, with some of the fundraising total buying furniture and plants for the area.

Graham Brogden, head of ORH Charitable Funds team, said a big thank you to readers who had helped raise £804,545 for the Heart Centre Campaign in the past year.

He said: “This has funded state-of-the-art equipment to treat and monitor patients that will enhance both patient care and research, initial furniture and plantings for the garden and two-thirds of the money needed for the high-tech conferencing and broadcasting centre.

“The conferencing centre will help us train and educate students and share knowledge and skills among surgeons around the world.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone for their support and for the positive impact it continues to make for patients, their family and friends.”

Mr Brogden has encouraged people to take part in the forthcoming three-mile It’s not Just a Walk in the Park in October.

All funds raised with the walk will be donated to the Oxford Heart Centre and the Oxford Cancer Centre.

To find out how to take part go to oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/ getinvolved/charitablefunds