THE ROYAL Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has launched a fundraising campaign to provide new equipment for breast cancer screenings.
The trust has teamed with the Royal Berkshire Charity to appeal for £130,000, which would fund a new mammography machine for its mobile screening unit.
The initiative has already seen donations from League of Friends of Berkshire Hospitals, who donated £32,500; Cisco, who donated £18,000; and HPE, who donated funds raised by their participation in the Reading Half Marathon earlier this year.
The new equipment would make breast cancer diagnosis more accessible, especially to those who cannot travel themselves, reducing the time it takes for a diagnosis and minimising biopsies.
This in turn means more patients will be able to get tested and more cancer cases are detected early, which dramatically improves their likelihood of survival.
Amanda Melhuish, Clinical Director and Consultant Mammographer, said: “Breast cancer impacts countless lives, with 1 in 7 women and approximately 370 men diagnosed annually.
“Early detection is crucial for improving patient outcomes and ensuring that our community members receive the highest quality breast cancer screening.
“Working with the Royal Berks Charity we have launched a special appeal to raise £130,000 for a new mammography machine for our mobile screening unit, and we are thrilled to announce that the League of Friends of Berkshire Hospitals has made a whopping £32,500 donation.”
Charlotte Haitham Taylor, Vice Chair of the League of Friends of Berkshire Hospitals, said: “Our charity’s prime objective is to help fund clinical work for the benefit of the wider community.
“Hence, we are pleased to make a contribution to the invaluable Breast Screening Programme”.
She added: “We are incredibly grateful to Charlotte and the team for their support, and to Cisco that has supported the appeal by walking the Portuguese route of the Camino Way, raising a phenomenal £18,000, and HPE who raised funds by taking part in the Reading Half Marathon in April.”
Georges Lalahy, from Cisco said: “We, at Cisco, are very proud to support the Royal Berks Charity and its breast screening appeal.
“Our team has walked a challenging 100km Camino route; we are all pleased to have made a difference to our local hospital and our local community.”
