Here in the NHS everything has changed. Wherever possible, we’re holding appointments over the phone to reduce the pressure on our hospitals and to keep patients safe.
For those women we need to see in person, for example for a physical examination, it’s just so different now. For those of you – and I know there are many – who have lived through a frightening cancer diagnosis and treatment, you’ll understand just how difficult and lonely this will be.
She now has to phone when she arrives and wait in her car until she’s called in. She’s then met at the door not with a warm smile and a hug – but with me standing there, at a distance, in my mask, apron and gloves.
She meets the consultant, yet another anonymous person in a mask, who then performs an intimate examination on her. It’s all for her safety, but it just feels so wrong. I want to reach out, hold her hand, sit with her – but I can’t.
I’m having to tell some women who are booked in for surgery that we’re having to defer as there may be no room in intensive care. Those beds are needed to care for coronavirus patients and there’s no end in sight.
It’s The Eve Appeal’s mission to put women’s health at their heart and to alleviate this sort of pressure on the NHS. Eve exists to make sure cancer can be prevented, or if not diagnosed at the earliest possible opportunity.
That’s why Ask Eve is so important, and it’s why we so desperately need your support.
Me and my colleague Karen run Ask Eve as a free resource for women who are experiencing signs and symptoms of any of the five gynaecological cancers, or for women and their families who are currently dealing with a cancer diagnosis to get the information and support they need. It’s the only charity-operated gynae nurse specialist service in the UK. We know it works, and it is needed now more than ever.
Since the start of the pandemic, calls to our service have rocketed, and at the same time as the need for Ask Eve has increased, income to The Eve Appeal has plummeted. The service desperately needs a lifeline, and you could be that lifeline today.
Every Thursday there’s a clap for the NHS service. Knowing I have the support of the British public really lifts my spirits after a long shift. And in return, every Thursday, I give a resounding clap back to those generous Eve supporters who are keeping Ask Eve running.
If you want to help us be there for the women who need us, please, donate today. If you can, please set up a regular gift – this will really help us keep our Ask Eve support service going over the coming months of uncertainty. No matter what you give, we can promise you it will make a real and lasting difference to women’s lives.