I have had a health focus in Westminster this last week with two key events.
Firstly, I attended Estee Lauder’s Pink Ribbon event to mark 30 years of the Breast Cancer Campaign at Parliament.
One of the key messages at the event was ensuring all women – with a new focus on Black and South Asian women - take part in breast screening.
At the age of 50 last year, I had my first appointment at the mobile screening unit in the Station Car Park, all very swift and supportive and potentially life-saving.
Locally the figures for women falling victim to this terrible disease are upsetting. In 2021, 24 women in Eastbourne lost their lives to breast cancer.
Screening is saving untold lives and is routinely rolled out for women aged 50-71. The latest statistics found 10,146 women (69%) were screened for breast cancer in Eastbourne – that’s a significant group reached but equally, a worrying 31% shortfall, equivalent to 4558 local women. If you’re in this age bracket, please do take up your invitation to a screening.
Self-checking is another important weapon in the fight against this cancer.
At the event, one of the UK Campaign ambassadors I spoke to, Lauren Mahon, co-host of award-winning podcast You, Me & the Big C and founder of GIRLvsCANCER, cited that one in four women aged 18-39 years report never checking their breasts. So this is a shout out to the over 12,000 women in Eastbourne in this age bracket too.
Back home, I was delighted to join residents and groups last Saturday at The Foundry in the Beacon to kick off Healthwatch East Sussex’s two-week period of engagement across Eastbourne as part of its ‘Listening Tour’.
Their aim? To learn about local experiences of, and aspirations for health and care.
I contributed to the event with memories of my broken fingers and journey through A&E, radiography and the fracture clinic.
I had a free health check by the lovely Sarah from ‘One You’ – all good, although it seems I’m too short for my weight!
All feedback will form part of Healthwatch’s recommendations to support positive change to the way things are done. Please do get involved.
