
Netball players raise more than £3,400 for chemotherapy unit
Heidi said: 'In the summer of 2010, my younger sister was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at just 30 years of age. Despite having excellent care, she died two years later. My family and I were devastated by this.
'Just less than 12 months later, I found a lump myself. As you can imagine, I was distraught and really scared. I was lucky enough to be seen very quickly at the Peony Breast Care Unit, Prince Philip Hospital.
'Following my recovery, I volunteered and worked in the unit for four years. The staff are amazing, their care, compassion and kindness is second to none. They strive to make the world a better place for patients, patients' families and the local community.
'I have not been one to talk openly about my cancer journey, but I have always wanted to give something back for the first-class treatment and care I received when I was poorly.
'I have always treasured my family, friends and those who stood by me through my treatment. They gave me strength when I needed it most. I treasure them even more so now, especially my netball family in the Llanelli Netball League.'
Anita Huws, associate specialist for breast care, said: "We would like to thank Heidi and all the netball teams that took part for the very generous donation. We are extremely grateful to you all."
Claire Rumble, fundraising officer, said: 'The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are very grateful for every donation we receive.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
CHRISTINA McANEA: 'Workers at private firms delivering NHS services rarely get a good deal'
Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea writes for The Mirror on private firms delivering NHS services, saying: 'No one should be making a profit from running public services' Since Labour came to power, things are looking up for the NHS. We've seen record investment and waiting times falling. But this progress risks being derailed. The government plans to transfer thousands of low-paid health workers out of the NHS. Ministers are allowing hospital bosses to set up their own companies to save cash. Before the election, Labour promised to bring workers on private contracts back into public services. But in power, ministers are doing the opposite. Plans to create a company in Dorset are underway. But more than a thousand cleaners, porters and caterers at local hospitals say they want to stay in the NHS. Hospital managers have said there'll be no impact on patients. Nor on staff pay, pensions or jobs. But Unison thinks otherwise. Ten years ago, Tory ministers had the same terrible idea. Health workers didn't like it then. And they don't like it now. The NHS needs help to get back on its feet, recover from the pandemic and years of Tory underfunding. No one should be making a profit from running public services. Workers at private firms delivering NHS services rarely get a good deal. I recently met a group of cleaners from east Lancashire working for contracting giant Mitie in health centres. The company regularly gets their pay wrong. The cleaners often receive less than they should, leaving them struggling. To make matters worse, Mitie refuses to pay staff bonuses given to other NHS workers during Covid. So far, the cleaners have taken eight days of strike action. But the firm still refuses to act. One in five payslips is incorrect. That's unacceptable. Company execs would be fuming if their wages were regularly wrong and they were denied bonuses. The staff take real pride in their jobs. But what really grates is that last year Mitie boss Phil Bentley took home £14.7m. And the firm's profits were £234m. Unison's calculated that giving staff the £1,655 Covid bonus would cost Mitie £70,000. Mr Bentley earns that in just ten hours. Neighbourhood health centres, like the ones the Mitie workers clean will be at the heart of the government's ten-year plan. This promises a revitalised NHS that works for patients. The plans mustn't be blown off course by unnecessary and unpopular privatisation, which doesn't work. Finally, this week I went to Gloucester in a shower of rain to meet phlebotomists who've been on strike for 121 days. These dedicated staff specialise in taking blood from patients and want to be paid fairly. But bosses won't budge. Other hospitals have paid up. It's time NHS managers in Gloucester did the same. Millions to benefit from workers' rights reforms Millions of workers will soon benefit from what's in the employment rights bill. It will stop people on zero-hours contracts being exploited, give workers sick pay as soon as they're poorly and make it harder for bad bosses to sack staff. This is the biggest set of workplace changes in a generation. But lots of people don't know much about it. The government should be shouting it from the rooftops. Filming of frontline workers for clicks has to stop Working on the front line is tough. The likes of paramedics, police officers and firefighters see and deal with horrendous things all the time. They deserve our thanks and respect. What they don't need is people making life tougher for them. But that's what's happening. Research from my union Unison found that one in seven health workers had experienced unwanted filming or photography in the past year. Staff being filmed as they treat heart attack victims. With the footage being livestreamed or put on platforms like TikTok. Someone filmed a car crash with seriously injured people. They refused to stop and had to be escorted away by the police. This ghoulish filming for clicks has to stop. Let our dedicated public servants do their jobs. Put the phone away.


Telegraph
39 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Hospitals are meant to cure and care for our loved ones, not destroy their quality of life
Among the daily cascade of statistics about the state of the NHS lie, as we all know, individual human stories and for some a quiet rage about how hospitals meant to cure and care for patients are destroying their quality of life. Last weekend, we 'celebrated' my older brother's 82nd birthday in a nursing home. Not where he or we had planned to spend it. In early April, he went into a West Midlands hospital with an infection, shortly afterwards diagnosed as pneumonia. He was in a four-bed section of a ward which appeared fairly well-staffed. But despite numbers, it's difficult to do one's job properly or competently when there's a dominant culture of not caring. A father of three and formerly a successful business owner, my brother has had dementia for several years now but, prior to his admission, he had a good quality of life. The pub one day or night a week for a zero beer with old friends and new, who made a fuss of him, meals out, and two days a week at dementia day care. Supported by a number of privately paid part-time carers, my sister-in-law cared for him so well, and he tucked into his food and watched his beloved sport on TV. So, what happened to all that? After four weeks in an NHS hospital, my brother was finally discharged, cured of pneumonia but unable to walk, doubly incontinent and having lost quite a lot of weight. He was not taken to the toilet but kept throughout in 'nappies'. My sister-in-law frequently had to tell staff when his bed was soaking wet. He lost weight because meals were deposited in front of patients – if you were able-bodied you ate, if not, or confused with dementia, the meal just sat there before it was taken away. Only one male nurse we saw made any attempt to help patients eat. Physio was initially offered but only when he was still very ill with pneumonia. When well enough, we asked for physio but were told he hadn't engaged. So, no physio, despite protests. He now sits in a wheelchair in what is an excellent nursing home paid for by his wife, after she discharged him, but the life he had is gone forever. Precious time was wasted at the hospital as unworkable home care packages were proposed. Having fractured her spine last summer lifting my brother from a fall and also recovering from an NHS treatment that has – at least temporarily – worsened her health, my sister-in-law can no longer care for him at home in the state he is now in. It's more than fortunate that she has the funds (for now) to pay for a nursing home. So many others have no choice but to be in the hands of cash-strapped councils. I've deliberately not shared my brother's name to protect his dignity and privacy, nor identified the hospital as a formal complaint will be made. I know that my brother's plight is not unique. But how can we ensure that the elderly and vulnerable, unable to speak for themselves, are not robbed of their mobility, dignity and quality of life as a result of such a short hospital stay. I'm angry and sad in equal measures, and determined to warn others who are older and liable to require hospitalisation, to beware. Your NHS may have some nasty surprises in store. Meanwhile, Secretary of State, it's too late for my brother, but what are you going to do and when to ensure that NHS hospitals are places of safety and prolong rather than shorten a decent quality of life?


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Sir Chris Hoy's emotional plea answered as ‘staggering' response to cancer diagnosis emerges
Six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in 2024 and has been campaigning for more men to get checked since Sir Chris Hoy has seen one of his wishes come true as thousands more men are now getting screened for prostate cancer following his devastating diagnosis. The six-time Olympic champion revealed in 2024 that he'd been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer after a routine check-up with his GP. The illness had spread from Hoy's prostate into his bones, leaving the cycling legend with just two to four years to live. Hoy was determined to smash the taboo surrounding cancer screening, having never been offered the PSA test that detects the disease - despite his dad and granddad both battling the same condition. Fresh NHS figures reported by The Telegraph reveal nearly 5,000 additional men have been referred for urological cancer checks in the six months since the 49-year-old went public with his news. The data shows 138,734 more males received urgent referrals for urological cancers - with prostate cancer being the primary type - between October 2024 and March 2025. This represents an extra 4,962 cases compared to the same period the previous year, a surge that medical experts are calling "staggering." Prostate cancer remains the most prevalent form of the disease amongst men, with roughly one in eight British males receiving the diagnosis during their lifetime. Separate data has revealed a significant surge in the number of men with a family history of prostate cancer checking their own risk, with usage of online risk checkers increasing by 77% over the same period. Despite his diagnosis, Hoy remains optimistic about his future and continues to fundraise and raise awareness for cancer charities nationwide. He recently launched Tour de 4, an initiative aimed at raising funds for cancer charities and changing perceptions of those living with the disease. Earlier this year, Hoy spoke about his desire for more men to come forward, as he said: "I've faced many challenges in my life, and going public with my prostate cancer diagnosis was certainly one of them. "I've been incredibly lucky to have so much support from my family, friends and the general public. The kindness has lifted me up and given me a sense of purpose. "I'm committed to taking that forward and using my platform to raise awareness of the most common cancer in men and help more men at risk to come forward and get tested." He added: "I was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer at 47. By this age, my prostate cancer was advanced and could have been progressing from when I was 45 or even younger. "With prostate cancer, the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat. We need the system to change to enable more men to get diagnosed earlier, and stop them getting the news I got."