SHE BRIGHTENED the life of her family while she was alive. Now, following her sad death, Dorothy 'Dot' Palmier will brighten the lives of Bournemouth heart patients after her legacy paid for £60,000 worth of new equipment.

Great-grandmother Mrs Palmier died in August 2017 aged 92 years and requested donations at her funeral be given to the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital Trust.

But she also left the hospital £62,500 in her will which has bought an electrophysiology monitoring system for the Cardiology department.

Consultant cardiologist and clinical lead in electrophysiology at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Dr Richard Bala, said the equipment was used in an area of cardiology concerned with treating patients with abnormal heart rhythms. "This is done by targeting electrical signals and burning away abnormal electrical circuits often with life changing results for patients," he explained.

“The new recording system will not only allow us to treat more patients, but also allow us to have access to the latest and best recording system on the market, allowing local patients in Dorset to receive the very best of care,” he said.

Head of fundraising at Bournemouth Hospital Charity, Debbie Anderson, worked closely with Mrs Palmier’s family when purchasing the new monitoring system,

“Having received this wonderful legacy, we worked with Dot’s daughter Jenny and her family to identify a piece of equipment that could be purchased with the legacy that was meaningful to them and respected Dot’s wishes,” she said.

Jenny, Mrs Palmier’s daughter, said she was happy that she and her family were able to fulfil her mother’s request.

“Mum was adamant that she wanted this money to help the heart unit as she and other members of our family have been treated for heart problems here," she said. "We’ve followed her wishes through as best we can with Debbie’s help.”

Mrs Palmier's bequest followed in the footsteps of her late husband, Rocky. He died in 2012 and at his funeral donations were made to RBCH's heart fund.