Charities donate £30,000 for equipment to help Wolverhampton breast care patients

The 5/344 Transport and General Workers Union Benevolent Scheme (ex-Goodyear workers) and the Maureen Parkes Breast Care Fund have each donated £15,127.35 for equipment to support breast care patients treated at New Cross Hospital.

The money raised has been used to buy three lipomodelling pieces of equipment – two Vibrasat PRO units and one Microaire handset.

Lipomodelling – or fat grafting – is the process of relocating fat to improve the shape, volume, consistency and profile of breast tissue, which is widely applied following breast cancer surgery.

Demand for lipomodelling has increased in recent years as it helps to provide a better aesthetic outcome for patients.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) previously had only one such machine – which was also funded by the 5/344 TGWU Benevolent Scheme – but having only one restricted the number of cases that could be done as the handsets must be sterilised after each procedure.

Having more handsets and machines means more than one lipomodelling case can be done in one theatre list and can also be used by two surgeons if they are operating on the same day.

This will help to reduce waiting times and if one of the machines fails, this operation could still go ahead without disruption of service.

Cyril Barrett, chair and trustee of the 5/344 Transport and General Workers Union Benevolent scheme, said: “This is a truly special day.

"Two organisations have joined forces to buy pieces of equipment to improve the health and wellbeing of patients.

“The community will benefit and this will fit in with the plan we have got to leave a fitting legacy for the people of Wolverhampton and the surrounding area.

“We as an organisation have spent over £400,000 on buying equipment for the trust because we believe passionately in the NHS and the work you do.

“I recall meeting Sheila Edwards, trustee of the Maureen Parkes Breast Care Fund, years ago and her bending my ear for biopsy guns and you got two that time.

“She’s a very persuasive lady and is determined to do whatever she can to get projects done to benefit patients in memory of Maureen Parkes.”

Sheila was a healthcare assistant on the breast care unit before retiring last year after 43 years’ service with the NHS.

During her long career, Sheila helped care for Maureen, and the pair became close friends.

Having beaten breast cancer in 1995, Maureen set up the Maureen Parkes Breast Cancer Fund, before she sadly passed away with stomach cancer in April 2010 at the age of 62.

Maureen was the late wife of former Wolves goalkeeper Phil Parkes, who has continued the fundraising for his wife’s fund through the activities of the Wolves Former Players Association, and the Maureen Parkes Breast Cancer Fund has now raised over £75,000 for the trust.

Phil said: “We’re delighted to be able to provide this equipment and know it will benefit breast care patients. Maureen would be proud to know it how it has helped people from the local area.”

Dr Senthum Mylvaganam, consultant surgeon on the breast care unit, added: “I thank both charities for their passion and their generosity.

“I have been a consultant at the trust for seven years and in that time I have treated patients the whole length and breadth of the Wolverhampton community and beyond.

“They are wonderful people and representative of the staff and the people we serve.

"These gestures reinforce my passion to do my best for our patients and we will be better and better year on year.

“We will use this money wisely and we will treat patients with the best care we can.”

Dr Tapan Sircar, fellow consultant surgeon on the breast care unit, said: “We are very grateful to the two charities for their generous donation, which has been used to purchase equipment to provide ‘state of the art’ lipomodelling surgery.

“Having this equipment will enable us to offer this operation to more patients and will also shorten the waiting time for this surgery.”

Leanne Bood, RWT charity development manager, said: “We’re so grateful to the charities for their generosity and support.

“Their joint donation will make a real difference to the care we can give our patients and we thank both organisations wholeheartedly.”