Businesses are being urged to back a new a new appeal on behalf of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group (BCUSG). The appeal, which aims to raise nearly £370,000 for three new projects, was launched recently by actress Stephanie Cole OBE, best known for her roles in the BBC sitcom Still Open All Hours, Coronation Street and Waiting for God.
The actress, who also starred in the 1980s television series Tenko, has just been appointed president of the charity, which provides a range of equipment and facilities for cancer patients at Bath’s Royal United Hospital (RUH).
The three new projects will improve outcomes for cancer patients from Bath and the surrounding area and include a new out-of-hours helpline for outpatients receiving chemotherapy treatment at the RUH and two Real-Time Position Management Respiratory Gating Systems to help doctors target radiotherapy more accurately by controlling patients’ breathing.
The charity is also looking to provide additional funds so that the NHS can upgrade its Solid-State Gamma Camera, which will provide better images for cancer diagnosis.
Stephanie Cole, who lives near Bath, joined senior health professionals from the Oncology and Radiotherapy Unit at the RUH to launch the appeal, including head of imaging physics Dr Martyn Evans and head of medical physics Dr Ed Matthews.
The actress said: “I am honoured to have been appointed president of a charity that does such important work to support cancer patients by raising money for vital equipment not provided by the NHS.
“We want to do even more to transform cancer care at the RUH and are asking local people and businesses to donate what they can to our new appeal and improve outcomes for many more people with cancer.”
To make a donation to the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group Appeal, visit www.bcusg.org, email fundraising@bcusg.org or phone 07896 741233.
Pictured: Dr Martyn Evans, head of imaging physics at the RUH, right, shows Stephanie Cole and BCUSG chairman Mike Taylor the hospital’s PET-CT Scanner, which was funded by the charity two years ago
