Kirsteen's story
Kirsteen Campbell hits the mark for Caithness patients
A Wick family’s love of darts has helped deliver a lasting boost to patient care at Caithness General Hospital. Kirsteen Campbell has raised an incredible £4,800 for the Day Case Unit, helping towards the purchase of a new vein scanner, as well as a further £400 for the local community nursing team.
Kirsteen, who attends the unit every six weeks for a life-changing lidocaine infusion, knows first-hand how challenging poor vein access can be.
“I am lucky enough to receive a lidocaine infusion every six weeks at the day case unit in Caithness General” Kirsteen explains. “This has transformed my pain but my vein access is very poor. The staff in the unit are amazing so I wanted to do something to help them and other patients like myself with poor veins”.
(Photo: Kirsteen Campbell with her son Ryan Campbell, consolation winner)
Vein scanners, sometimes called vein finders, use near-infrared light to map veins beneath the skin. The device projects a real-time image onto the surface, helping clinical staff locate suitable veins more quickly and accurately. This can reduce the number of attempts needed for cannulas or blood tests, making procedures more comfortable for patients and saving valuable staff time.
“Having poor vein access is awful, it's painful but you also feel guilty for the time it takes to get access. Precious staff time. An IV scanner in the unit will make such a difference to many patients like myself and the staff” Kirsteen explained.
The funds were raised through a lively community darts day at the Seaforth Club in Wick in September 2025, organised by Kirsteen alongside her husband Martin and their children Sammie and Ryan. With darts playing a big part in family life, it was the perfect way to bring people together for a good cause.
“We had a great time at the fundraiser,” Kirsteen adds. “It was so lovely to have some of the staff come along too. My family all plays darts, so we knew we could pull together the darts community to organise a well-attended event.”
Kirsteen hopes her experience will inspire others to get involved in supporting local healthcare. Her efforts will help improve care for patients across Caithness, ensuring quicker, more comfortable treatment for those who need it most.
Linda MacDougall said: “The East Caithness community nurses are extremely grateful for Kirsteen's fundraising and kind donation. We hope to put the money towards a portable vein scanner which will be of benefit to both staff and patients in the community”.
(Photo: Ladies winner Alison Tait (left) with Vivian Davies from the Day Case Unit)
Vein scanners, sometimes called vein finders, use near-infrared light to map veins beneath the skin. The device projects a real-time image onto the surface, helping clinical staff locate suitable veins more quickly and accurately. This can reduce the number of attempts needed for cannulas or blood tests, making procedures more comfortable for patients and saving valuable staff time.
“Having poor vein access is awful, it's painful but you also feel guilty for the time it takes to get access. Precious staff time. An IV scanner in the unit will make such a difference to many patients like myself and the staff” Kirsteen explained.
The funds were raised through a lively community darts day at the Seaforth Club in Wick in September 2025, organised by Kirsteen alongside her husband Martin and their children Sammie and Ryan. With darts playing a big part in family life, it was the perfect way to bring people together for a good cause.
“We had a great time at the fundraiser,” Kirsteen adds. “It was so lovely to have some of the staff come along too. My family all plays darts, so we knew we could pull together the darts community to organise a well-attended event.”
Kirsteen hopes her experience will inspire others to get involved in supporting local healthcare. Her efforts will help improve care for patients across Caithness, ensuring quicker, more comfortable treatment for those who need it most.
Linda MacDougall said: “The East Caithness community nurses are extremely grateful for Kirsteen's fundraising and kind donation. We hope to put the money towards a portable vein scanner which will be of benefit to both staff and patients in the community”.
(Photo: Men’s winner Donald (Zubes) Sutherland with Naomi Cottam from the Day Case Unit)
