October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Torfaen MP Nick Thomas-Symonds has expressed his backing for the ‘Turn ABUHB Pink’ day which falls on Friday 8th October this year.
The yearly campaign is organised by the group Friends of the New Breast Care Unit for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which aims to raise funds for extra facilities within the unit and create a welcoming environment for patients and their families.
Under plans for the new Breast Care Unit, which is set to open late this year, services for patients across Gwent will be unified in one place. The unit will be a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for breast cancer patients, providing the best quality facilities for faster diagnosis, treatment, and follow up care.
Businesses, individuals, and community groups across Gwent are encouraged to join departments from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in turning their workplaces and shops pink on the 8th October.
Supporting the campaign, the Torfaen MP commented: ‘Just before I turned 18, I lost my grandmother Olwyn to breast cancer, and it was she who inspired me to go into politics. I have been a passionate campaigner since I was elected in 2015 for improved services for cancer patients.
It was an honour to be asked to become a patron of the Friends of the New Breast Care Unit for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and I wholeheartedly support their Turn ABUHB Pink campaign this October, and their continued work to improve facilities for breast cancer patients here in Torfaen.’
Emma Wilkins, who works for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and is organising the campaign said: ‘As patron Nick has always been passionate about publicising the work our local group does. Unfortunately like Nick breast cancer affects so many of our close friends and family members.
Although the unit is funded by the NHS, the fundraising will further promote our passion to ensure the unit is an exceptional place to be treated. The funds raised will provide the very best facilities for local breast cancer patients and their families, to date we have raised 184k of the 200k needed to improve the unit above what the NHS can provide.
The dedicated unit will have, a waiting area that has been designed with patient comfort in mind counselling rooms for difficult conversations and a volunteer café area. I would like to appeal to anyone that can support our fundraising to email Emma.wilkins5@wales.nhs.uk for further information.’
