TB service marks World TB Day by raising more than £1,000 for charity
A TB service jointly run by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in Hammersmith and Fulham showed its support for World TB Day on 24 March by holding an awareness-raising and fundraising event.
The event at Charing Cross Hospital was a huge success as the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham joined members of the public, tuberculosis (TB) nurses and doctors, patients and visitors to find out more about the TB service and help raise money for charity by buying cakes and entering a raffle. The event raised more than £1,250 for the charity TB Alert, which is a close ally of the service that is run in partnership with Central London Community Healthcare.
Dr Onn Min Kon, TB consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said:“TB continues to be a major public health issue in London and we need to continue to ensure that in addition to providing the best diagnostic tools and clinical care, that we support people who find it difficult to complete their treatment without additional help. We continue to partner with TB Alert in ensuring this is the case.”
Tracy Palmer, TB nurse specialist at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (pictured with the Mayor and Janine Smythers, a TB patient) said:
"TB has been on the rise in London and it's really important that people understand how it can be contracted and how to spot the signs early enough so that it can be properly treated. Our service treats people in local communities and in their own homes as well as in hospitals, as we are working to make NHS care as convenient, effective and practical as possible for patients. TB Alert do excellent work to support some of the most vulnerable people with TB, which is why we are showing our support for them today.”
The Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, Cllr Frances Stainton, said:
"I didn't realise TB was so close to home and events like today are very important because they raise awareness. I spoke to a patient, Janine, who didn't realise she had TB until she was diagnosed. Because she came to the service early it never reached her lungs so she wasn't contagious but it shows the importance of early treatment. Today was a great event, I found the cakes irresistible and I have lasting admiration for the nurses' skill as amateur cake bakers!"
For more information about the service please visit: www.clch.nhs.uk/tbnursing
