The Well Foundation is the official charity supporting North Shore and Waitakere hospitals and community health services extending up to Rodney. With support from the local community, they raise funds to help advance healthcare for everyone - babies, children, adults and the elderly. Working directly with Waitemata District Health Board to fund projects and initiatives that improve health outcomes, lift the quality of patient experience and deliver world-class care. I really admire the work they do and wanted to contribute to fundraising for one of their current projects. This year, one of their major projects is the Diagnostic Breast Service or DBS. Here is a little bit about the work they are doing towards this and why, from the amazing Juliet Tweed.
'Our aim is to build a world leading breast cancer service which can be replicated around New Zealand to save more lives through faster cancer diagnosis and treatment
Currently, we have too many patients, waiting too long for diagnosis from medical clinics spread too far out across the region leading to poor patient outcomes for many and even avoidable deaths.
Our aim is to build a new facility in one single place where patients can attend all investigations and clinics in one single day so a quick diagnosis can be made. Currently, medical tests are done in three separate locations across North Shore / Central City and often scheduled weeks apart which can see some patients waiting many weeks for a diagnosis. And sometimes that’s just too late. With a rapidly growing population, the aim is to treat more patients more quickly, reducing anxiety whilst awaiting a possible cancer diagnosis and ensuring treatment is planned quickly.
The Well Foundation is responsible for raising $2M towards the $4M project. We have around $700K to go thanks to donor support and an amazing $1M pledge from Breast Cancer Foundation of New Zealand. This partnership will allow patients of the DBS access to the support network provided by BCFNZ with ease, which as some or many of you may know is such an important factor when someone is faced with a life changing diagnosis such as this.
Currently, much of the Waitemata region’s Cancer Treatments are centralised at Auckland City Hospital, but a wider aim is for patients to get great healthcare closer to home. I’m sure you heard the government’s recent announcement of investments in Cancer Care in the regions nationally to help cope with travel times for treatment which is fantastic news for people who might have multiple hour journeys to seek treatment. With Auckland’s increasing population and road congestion the inner city campus is struggling to cope.
A new, innovative, responsive model of care is needed now as the pressure on the system is expected to continue to increase. Referral volumes at North Shore Hospital alone were 50 per week in 2012, increasing to 70 per week as of 2017 and forecast to be 100 per week within 5 years. This new model of care, with the aim of ‘triple testing’ – imaging, assessment and biopsy on same day for most patients, in one single location, is based on the world leading breast cancer service in Nottingham UK.
A new, innovative, responsive model of care is needed now as the pressure on the system is expected to continue to increase. Referral volumes at North Shore Hospital alone were 50 per week in 2012, increasing to 70 per week as of 2017 and forecast to be 100 per week within 5 years. This new model of care, with the aim of ‘triple testing’ – imaging, assessment and biopsy on same day for most patients, in one single location, is based on the world leading breast cancer service in Nottingham UK.
Philanthropy is needed here as budgets at North Shore Hospital, in fact all hospitals nationwide are severely under pressure. We so value community support like Avery’s project to help not only raise funds but raise awareness for what we are trying to achieve in our community. The generosity of our supporters helps us help the Waitemata DHB strive to provide its promise of ‘best care for everyone’.' - Juliet Tweed, Fundraising Administrator.