AN APPEAL to pay for a state-of-the-art robot at a local hospital has been given a huge boost with a £25,000 donation.

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust has been given the cash by the Garfield Weston Foundation, a trust set up by a Canadian businessman to help UK good causes.

The money is for the Da Vinci Robot, which helps surgeons perform operations with pinpoint accuracy and makes surgery less invasive for patients.

Peter Butler, head of fundraising at the trust, said: “We are really grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation for supporting our appeal.

“The da Vinci Robot has already made a significant difference to the lives of our patients with a diagnosis of prostate, bladder and kidney cancers having already treated around 112 patients using the da Vinci Robot technology.

“The first hysterectomy operation carried out at Chase Farm Hospital using the da Vinci Robot was performed in December 2010 by two of our consultant surgeons, this is ground breaking work, and it will make such a difference to the way our female patients can be treated.”

The cash takes the appeal total to £230,000.