Breakthrough Breast Cancer newsletter by Toast Design

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Make a difference - help bridge the gap in breast cancer survival

news

Pushing for change at Party Conference

Members Christine Abbott, Elaine Ellison (above) and Sue Paulley represented Breakthrough’s Campaigns & Advocacy Network (CAN) at last year’s political party conferences, to share their experiences and gain support for the charity’s work during this important time of change for health services. Health reforms focus on giving local authorities greater responsibility for improving public health. Christine, Elaine and Sue spoke with a number of local councillors, promoting the importance of early diagnosis in saving lives and encouraging joint working. They also met with key organisations, Peers and other influential MPs, including Health Minister Paul Burstow MP, sharing with them the priorities for people affected by breast cancer. Elaine said, “It was great to be able to draw on my own personal experiences to highlight the importance of breast cancer priorities with MPs and decision-makers so that people affected by breast cancer are truly at the heart of the NHS.” THE ADVOCATE SPRING 2012

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We’re Changing

Breast Cancer in Scotland

Changing Breast Cancer conference in Edinburgh

Last October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, more than 100 politicians, policy-makers, healthcare professionals and people affected by breast cancer came together at our Changing Breast Cancer conference in Edinburgh to discuss breast cancer in Scotland. Health professionals and women affected by breast cancer gave their opinion on early detection, risk factors and personalised medicines while many pledged to take action to change breast cancer by campaigning for treatments, fundraising for research and promoting breast awareness.

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You can change breast cancer in Scotland

From adding your voice to our campaigns to promoting breast awareness or sharing your story with the media – whichever way you want to get involved – you can help to change breast cancer. To get involved, call Janis McCulloch on 0131 226 0769, email janism@breakthrough.org.uk or visit breakthrough.org.uk/scotland

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Award for talking TLC in Plain English

Breakthrough’s Dr Hannah Bridges with CAN member Belinda Shaw

On 9 December, CAN member Belinda Shaw represented our Health Publications Review Group and joined Breakthrough’s Senior Information Officer, Dr Hannah Bridges, to accept an award from the Plain English Campaign for Breakthrough’s Touch Look Check (TLC) leaflet. The accolade, which “campaigns against gobbledygook,” recognises those who have made

an effort to present themselves using clear and concise English. Belinda said, “It’s good to see Breakthrough’s TLC leaflet win an award. It feels great that I, and others like me, play a part in making sure Breakthrough’s publications are accessible to everyone as a member of the Health Publications Review Group. Hopefully this will help many more women be breast aware.”

Making a difference

in the heart of Westminster Thank you to the 70 CAN members who united for 2011’s Westminster Fly-In, to keep breast cancer high on the Government’s agenda during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More than 60 MPs and Peers took part in the event at Westminster making this one of our biggest Fly-Ins to date. Together, you made Parliamentarians and key policy-makers sit up and listen to the priorities for breast cancer during this critical time for health. We launched our Bridging the Gap in Breast Cancer Survival Charter at the event which outlines the commitments needed to make sure more women survive breast cancer. The success of the Fly-In culminated in over 40 Parliamentarians pledging their support by signing the Charter. CAN member Susan Head, from the West Midlands, said, “Every single life is very valuable so it is crucial the UK match the best breast cancer survival rates in Europe. There is no good reason why we shouldn’t achieve this. The Charter is an important step towards the goal of ending the fear of breast cancer for everyone. And what a great day that would be.” CAN members celebrating their successes in Westminster

TO FIND OUT MORE GO TO breakthrough.org.uk/CAN

spotlight

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Make a difference

this year

help us bridge the gap

in breast cancer survival More women are surviving breast cancer than ever before thanks to better awareness, screening and treatments, however survival rates in England still lag behind some other European countries. The Government’s cancer strategy states that if England was to achieve cancer survival rates at the European best, an estimated 10,000 lives could be saved every year. For breast cancer, an estimated 1,000 lives could be saved. Our Bridging the Gap in Breast Cancer Survival Charter sets out how we should respond to make sure more women survive breast cancer. Add your voice to make sure decision-makers hear our calls for change so we achieve results that rival the best in Europe – choose how you want to Act Now.

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Make Digital Happen

All eligible women should have access to the best possible breast screening services. Digital technology has a number of advantages over traditional film screen technology, however no firm deadline has been set for replacing England’s breast screening equipment and almost one in five services haven’t started introducing this technology yet. We want the NHS Breast Screening Programme to be a world class service. What you can do Make sure all eligible women in England have access to the best breast screening services. Take action online at makedigitalhappen.org

THE ADVOCATE SPRING 2012

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spotlight

Share Breast Awareness

Early diagnosis is key to improving breast cancer survival. The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of beating it. We want all women to be breast aware and Breakthrough’s Touch Look Check message is a strong, memorable message. It is based on the latest clinical evidence and health behaviour insights and has been designed and tested so we know it speaks to women. What you can do Share Breakthrough’s breast awareness iPhone app – iBreastCheck – with friends and family. Spread the word about the importance of being breast aware with your family and friends. Visit iBreastCheck.com

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Influencing NHS reform

The Health and Social Care Bill proposes the biggest changes in NHS history. With the Bill being introduced to Parliament at the same time that the NHS in England is being asked to find £20 billion of efficiency savings, there is increasing pressure on the health system at both national and local levels. As the new health service evolves and starts to take shape, it’s vital that as campaigners we protect and strengthen best practice in the design and delivery of breast cancer services. What you can do Are you an active member of your Local Involvement Network (LINK)? Have you been consulted on the transition to Healthwatch? Are you involved with a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)? Help Breakthrough get a picture of what’s happening across England. Contact Lizzie Cook on lizziec@breakthrough.org.uk or on 020 7025 0277.

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Spread the message

Was your breast cancer picked up by breast screening? Have you or has anyone you know had a digital mammogram? Help raise the profile of breast cancer issues by sharing your story. What you can do Tell us your story. Visit breakthrough.org.uk/tellyourstory

TO FIND OUT MORE GO TO breakthrough.org.uk/CAN

CAN IN FOCUS

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Interviewing patients to

improve breast cancer services Our Service Pledge for Breast Cancer has had an impact on the lives of an estimated 19,000 patients so far – however there is still more we can do. Thank you to all the CAN members who helped us to launch the Service Pledge at 25 hospital sites across the country, bringing our participating site total to 51 so far. This year, we will be widening our reach by working with a further 15 sites to shape the lives of more patients. We can’t do this without you. It is vital that patients are comfortable when they share their experiences and opinions of a hospital’s services, as these inform the improvements that the hospital pledges to make. Our valuable CAN members play a crucial role in this. Thank you to all of you who have interviewed patients so far for the Pledge. It doesn’t stop here though. We’re looking for up to 30 CAN members to train to become Patient Interviewers this year to help gain indepth understanding of patients’ experiences of treatments and services.

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Our breast team has realised the value of working together with patients. What we consider to be small changes can make the biggest difference to our patients.

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Jo Divver Pledge Lead for Lincoln County Hospital

THE ADVOCATE SPRING 2012

Service Pledge for Breast Cancer launch at Bedford Hospital Breast Unit

T AC OW REGISTER YOUR INTEREST... N ...in becoming a Service Pledge Patient Interviewer at surveymonkey.com/s/patientinterviewer-interest or to find out more about the role call Farrah Chaudhri on 020 7280 4266 or email farrahc@breakthrough.org.uk

CAN IN FOCUS

Talking TLC CAN Change

Networks Together we can change breast cancer services across the UK. As the NHS moves towards more local and patient-led decision making, we have recognised that with your help we can make a difference both nationally and locally.

CAN member Janine Mayo (right) talks TLC

Last year, we kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with our first ‘National TLC Day’ in conjunction with ITV1’s Daybreak, to take our breast awareness message out to thousands more people across the UK. Thank you to our TLC Champions and to all of you who supported them at the eight information stands in locations across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Since April 2011, more than 25 of our supporters have been trained to Talk TLC in their local communities. By using the power of word of mouth to spread our Touch Look Check message, our TLC Champions are making more local women breast aware and giving them access to accurate, high quality information from people they trust.

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We are starting by trying this out in three areas: Lancashire, Newark and Cardiff. In these areas we will provide guidance and training for local CAN members to support campaigns on issues that matter to them – and to Breakthrough – to secure vital improvements in their area.

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Locally

To find out more about our CAN Change Networks, call Lizzie Cook on 020 7025 0277 or email lizziec@breakthrough.org.uk

Talk TLC Help to spread the TLC message by sharing Breakthrough’s award-winning iBreastCheck iPhone app with your friends and family. Simply visit iBreastCheck.com

TO FIND OUT MORE GO TO breakthrough.org.uk/CAN

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seconds with...

Joan Brown Joan is campaigning to bridge the gap in breast cancer survival and is involved in the initiative, Be Clear on Cancer, to raise breast awareness for women over the age of 70. What started you campaigning? I didn’t know very much when I started. I feel everybody who has been affected by breast cancer, in whatever way, has a lot to say about how we’ve dealt with the experience. I have always worked closely with my hospital and I chose to do something positive with my experience.

What do you enjoy about being a CAN member? I feel I am supporting such a worthwhile focus in my life. Since joining Breakthrough, I’ve looked forward to the training and support that has been given to me. It’s like having another right hand – it’s good knowing that that support is behind you.

What are your campaign highlights? Hearing about Breakthrough’s Bridging the Gap in Breast Cancer Survival campaign at last year’s Westminster Fly-In – in particular sharing the importance of breast awareness. It’s fantastic that I can choose the way to get involved that’s most suitable to me. I enjoyed being photographed for the Department of Health’s poster campaign to encourage women over the age of 70 to be breast aware. It is great that I can help share this message.

What have you achieved by campaigning with Breakthrough? The opportunity to meet my MP on several occasions. I was so nervous at first, however

my MP put me at ease. It has given me more self-confidence to talk about breast cancer and I feel I’m learning more about it nearly every week. I feel I have the knowledge, as a result of campaigning with Breakthrough, to talk to other MPs about breast cancer, which is nice.

What do you want to achieve over the coming year? I’m impressed by other CAN members – they inspire me to give more. We’re not all alike and I hope that perhaps giving a little part of me can help others. I’ve got real ‘oomph’ to get involved. I’m looking forward to giving more time in my small way to support Breakthrough’s Bridging the Gap in Breast Cancer Survival campaign and continuing this great work.

What would you like to see Breakthrough achieve? Breakthrough has achieved so much since I joined. Some would say that there is more to accomplish, but in the years I have been involved, I have seen that if there is more they need to do, they will shine through and get it done.

What hobbies do you have? I’ve learnt to fly, ski, glide and I’ve done many sponsored walks. I’m very active in my community as chairperson for my housing estate and locally with Arthritis Care and Soroptimists International. I know I’m a more mature person now, but I could give an endless list of my hobbies.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a charity registered in England & Wales No. 1062636 and Scotland No. SC039058. © Breakthrough Breast Cancer 2012 Publications ref: C2020C

TO FIND OUT MORE GO TO breakthrough.org.uk/CAN