Billy’s band in bed boost

ROYTON musician Billy Horan put his nimble fingers to good use when he plucked the strings of his mandolin to raise cash for charity.

Billy is a member of a six-strong Celtic rock band which took part in a fundraising event to pay its own personal tribute to a fellow-band member, who died 18 months ago at the age of 76

The event, held at Shaw Road Conservative Club, was organised by the Royal Oldham Hospital’s medical assessment unit to boost ward funds.

And the organisers gave Billy and his band, Kelta, £250 from the proceeds for their own choice of charity.

The sum was made up to £800 from the endowment fund at the hospital’s cardiology unit, where Billy works, and a grant from a medical company.

It paid for a special electric bed for use by patients admitted with chest pains.

Billy (45) is a thrombolysis specialist nurse, which involves him treating people with heart conditions.

He said: “One of the guys who used to play in our band, Sean Conboy, died suddenly about 18 months ago.

“We decided to raise some money in his memory, and we found out the rapid access chest pain clinic needed a new electric bed.

“We play the occasional gig around Oldham and sometimes further afield, but the enjoyment for us comes from practising together,” said Billy.

The bed will be used by patients who walk on a treadmill to put the heart under stress in a test to detect the cause of chest pain.

Any problems will be picked up on an ECG machine, in which case the patient is sent for more tests or to see a specialist.