A specialist machine that can recycle a patient’s blood during an operation has been installed at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

The £16,000 blood cell saver cleans the blood, extracting the red cells, which are then transfused back into the patient.

It was paid for by the Friends of Eastbourne Hospitals.

Consultant haematologist Richard Grace said: “In simple terms this machine enables patients to receive their own blood during an operation.

“This machine speeds up the transfusion process, as there is no need to carry out compatibility tests on the patient.

“It also improves the quality of the blood because it does not need storing.”

The technology also reduces a patient’s exposure to another person's blood and the risk of infection is less.

It can also be used by patients such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, who might object on religious grounds to receiving donated blood.