This Friday (19 October), hospitals run by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is joining the likes of Blackpool Tower and the Ashton Memorial in Lancaster by lighting up pink to raise awareness of the importance of regular breast screening – as part of this month’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The signage and entrances of South Lakes Birth Centre at Furness General Hospital (FGH); the women’s unit at Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI); and the entrance to Helme Chase Maternity Unit at Westmorland General Hospital will be light up pink for a week.
Blackpool Tower is also being lit up in pink this Friday and from Monday 22 October, the Ashton Memorial in Lancaster will be floodlit in pink for the entire week – all on behalf of the North Lancashire and South Cumbria Breast Screening Programme.
Staff working across UHMBT are being encouraged to wear something pink to work this Friday for Wear it Pink day and make a small donation. All proceeds raised from the day goes to the North Lancashire and South Cumbria breast screening fund, which is administered by Bay Hospitals Charity, to help make breast screening service’s across the Trust the best they can possibly be for local women – ensuring women receive the very best care and treatment.
Carly Taylor, Breast Screening Navigator, UHMBT, said: “We wanted to do something special this year to remind women across Lancashire and Cumbria of the importance of attending their breast screening appointments.
“As the North Lancashire and South Cumbria breast screening programme covers the areas from Barrow down to Blackpool, we have a lower uptake for women attending in the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre area, so promotion there is very important.
“The team at Blackpool Tower has been really supportive of our programme in the past, sharing our breast screening promotional video on their social media pages, so I contacted them and they kindly agreed to light up the tower this Friday. We then contacted the teams at Ashton Memorial and the Trust to see how they could support the awareness too.
“One in eight UK women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and early detection is very important. Free NHS breast screening aims to detect breast cancer at a very early stage and provides free breast screening every three years for all women in the UK aged 50-70. Some women aged 47-49 and 71-73 will also be invited for screening.
“Thank you to everyone for their support so far, and we hope to see pink for miles on Friday!”
If you would like to make a donation to the North Lancashire and South Cumbria Breast Screening Fund, you can text MBHC18 – followed by the amount you would like to donate – £1, £5, £10. £20 (e.g. MBHC18£10) to: 70070.
Morecambe Bay Hospitals Charity is a registered charity, raising money to improve patient care and the hospital experience across University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust hospitals.
Every day incredible things happen across our hospitals, but this is not without cost. By donating to Morecambe Bay Charity you can help fund the latest equipment and help make your local hospitals more comfortable, ensuring you get the best possible care and treatment.
For more information on Bay Hospitals Charity or to donate, visit: http://www.bayhospitalscharity.org/donate
