A SOLIHULL breast cancer charity has presented a £10,000 cheque for the new chemotherapy unit at Solihull Hospital – after it welcomed its first patients.
Breast Friends Solihull, a support group organised by volunteers who have all been treated for breast cancer, provided the donation for the new treatment centre.
The group hopes its offering will provide two chemotherapy chairs for the new centre which welcomed its first patients last week.
Breast Friends Solihull has worked closely with the Solihull Hospital Charity in the past, funding equipment to support breast cancer services at Solihull Hospital.
Lorraine Ashford, from Breast Friends Solihull, said: “We were all delighted to be able to donate this money to Solihull Hospital Charity’s appeal to help fund the new cancer centre at the hospital.
“Breast Friends works to provide friendship, emotional and practical support to women with breast cancer and their families.”
The unit, which cost £2.2million to build, will be known as the Solihull Haematology and Oncology Day Unit.
Staff are moving onto the site after four months of refurbishment work converted the former Bruce Burns Unit into a state-of-the-art facility.
The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS trust will recruit 50 new staff to run the centre.
Samantha Howell, fundraising manager at Solihull Hospital Charity, said: “The Charity’s heartfelt thanks go to everyone from Breast Friends Solihull who have helped to make this amazing donation possible.
“The money that has been donated will help the charity to reach its £150,000 fundraising target to help fund the new oncology and haematology day unit at Solihull Hospital. The new unit will help to ease the pressure on Ward 19 at Heartlands Hospital, offering patients across the West Midlands a calming atmosphere to receive their treatment in.”
To find out more or donate visit hospitalcharity.org/cancercentre
For more information on the hospital visit www.solihullhospital.org.uk or call 0121 371 4852.
