Volunteers have raised more than £8,000 for a special scanner for elderly people.
Colchester League of Hospital and Community Friends presented the ultrasound bladder scanner to Gainsborough Wing, which houses the stroke unit as well as the care of the elderly wards.
It will be used to check whether patients are retaining urine and staff hope this will reduce the need for putting in catheters and prevent the spread of infections such as MRSA.
Sue Bazzoni, senior sister on the Stroke Unit, said: "Having the scanner will mean we don't have to use as many invasive procedures.
"Sometimes patients can't tell whether their bladder is full or not and so we insert a catheter unnecessarily.
"This puts them at risk of contracting an infection such as MRSA - the scanner will mean we can tell more accurately how full it is."
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