CONSULTANT breast surgeon Steven Thrush admits that he’s still in shock because, despite the monumental efforts over the past six years of Worcestershire residents to raise £1.8 m for a new breast unit in Worcester, he didn’t know if it would actually materialise.

But it did and the state-of-the-art unit, a unique combination of dedicated NHS breast services and complementary support services available from The Haven charity, is open for business.

And those involved in this epic effort have just cause to celebrate the achievement. But the opening of the building, which has been specially designed to provide a peaceful and welcoming environment for those facing a potentially traumatic period in their lives, is not the end of the project.

The reason why this unit is unique and being closely watched by other health organisations is because it is offering a range of tried and tested complementary therapies to support the recovery of breast cancer patients alongside the NHS services in the same building.

And those therapies rely on the continuing support of Worcestershire residents to raise the funds needed to pay for them.

Speaking at the launch of the new charity – Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven - which aims to raise £150,000 a year to pay for the complementary therapies, Mr Thrush said: “I am still in a bit of shock because I did not know if we would get the breast unit opened, but we have.

“This new charity is really about making sure we get the best for men and women in Worcestershire with breast cancer.”

Chief executive of The Haven Pam Healy added: “The Haven does not deliver a service in any other hospital. So here, patients can get their mainstream treatment but they can get a Haven therapist to deal with all the side effects.”

The Haven was established 16 years ago by Sara Davenport who was concerned about the lack of emotional support and information available at the time for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer.

The first Haven centre was opened in London in 2000 and the next was in Hereford in 2004. There are four stand-alone centres in the country plus the one at the new breast unit within the Worcestershire Royal Hospital site.

She added: “We came to Worcester because Steven Thrush came to us and asked us to come in. He had heard of people coming to the Haven in Hereford and the difference it was making to their lives. Without him and his foresight, we would not be here.

“Steven and his colleagues are doing a fantastic job and we help people navigate through really difficult times.

“Worcester is a pilot because it is working within the NHS hospital hand in glove with the local professionals to improve the services they have and the way patients recover. If it works here, it could work everywhere.”

She stressed that the money raised in Worcestershire is used to provide local services for patients from the county.

Patients using other Haven centres can select up to 10 free complementary therapy sessions – these therapies include counselling, acupuncture, massage, nutritional therapy, reflexology, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, Shiatsu and herbal medicine. At Worcester they can have six sessions but can go The Haven in Hereford to top up the sessions to 10 if they wish.

According to Hannah Daws, fundraising and communications director at Haven, about 20 per cent of local breast cancer patients use their other centres but they expect this to go up to 50 per cent at Worcester because they are part of the NHS unit.

“The beauty of the Haven programme is that there is no ‘one size fits all’. The treatment can be very different from one person to the next. The Haven nurses know what patients are going through and their concerns.

“We really want people to get behind the unit and keep the appeal alive. We want them to stay with us. People in Worcestershire have been incredibly generous.”

Chairman of the new charity Fiona Charny said: “We would like to raise £150,000 a year. We have worked out how many patients are expected to go through the centre each year and we would like to be able to offer every patient with breast cancer the opportunity of going through The Haven.

“Apart from the complementary therapies, we are hoping to be able to offer other things like special bras, wigs and swimming costumes for people who cannot afford them.

“The people of Worcestershire have been fantastic and we would like the supporters who fundraised for the building to continue to support us.”

She added they would be encouraging all sections of the community from schools and WIs to businesses and sporting clubs to ensure this unique service continues and succeeds.

For more information about the new Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven charity please contact Jacquie Clements, Charity Administrator, The Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester, WR5 1DD - telephone 01905 733786 and visit www.worcsbreastunithaven.com.

How it works

IN WORCESTERSHIRE alone there are 600 people, mainly woman but a few men also, diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Women and men with breast cancer symptoms are referred by the GP to the new breast unit in Worcester where they will be examined and should get their diagnosis the same day.

The unit has a range of NHS professionals under one roof including breast surgeons, plastic surgeons, specialist breast care nurses, breast radiologists and radiographers and the work they do includes conducting examinations, mammograms and biopsies; making diagnoses; offering support and advice as well as fitting prostheses. The Haven therapists work alongside the NHS staff to provide treatment recovery services.

If patients require surgery they have a choice of going to Kidderminster General Hospital and Treatment Centre, The Alexandra Hospital Redditch or Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

Anyone who needs radio therapy will be referred to the new Worcestershire Oncology Centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, while chemotherapy is currently provided in the hospitals at Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester.

Some patients may opt to go to cancer treatment centres in other counties which are closer to home than the main Worcestershire hospitals.

After treatment Worcestershire patients can choose to use the complementary therapies provided at the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven.

Fiona Charney, chairman of the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven charity, said: “The benefit of going to the new breast unit at Worcester is patients are diagnosed very quickly.

“They have only got to go once and they find out whether they are ill or not – four out of five lumps are benign. Patients should know the same day.

“If surgery is involved there is patient choice about where to have the operation. Everyone has to go to Worcester once but we think it is worth it to be diagnosed quickly.”

First patients

ANNE Brew, who lives in the Teme Valley just outside Worcester, has supported the new breast unit campaign for several years.

Her husband Jonathan was a patron of the fund-raising charity (Everybody Knows Somebody) responsible for galvanising the community into action and turning the dream of a dedicated breast unit into a reality.

The couple attended many functions during the course of the six-year money raising crusade and Anne, aged 62 who has lived in Worcestershire for 34 year, came to know and respect a lot of the people involved.

She personally donated in the region of £500 to the campaign for the building itself and, after being given a tour of the premises, decided she wanted to donate the money to enable the first patient to receive the complementary therapies available through The Haven at the unit.

In fact she donated £500 – enough to treat the first two patients using The Haven services.

Anne said: “When I was shown around the completed building, I was so impressed with the calm and peaceful feeling and how good it would be for people attending it, I said I would like to provide the first treatments for the first patients.

She added modestly: “It is only a small token. I know several friends who have had treatment for breast cancer and I know what they have been through.

“I was very keen on the first campaign because it was for Worcestershire people and I have lived in Worcestershire for 34 years. There have been people involved from all walks of life and the campaign team has worked tirelessly.

“Local people who have contributed to make this happen and the building is completely beautiful and there is a lot of thought put into it.”