Posts by Penny Heaton
SWAG Innovates Together – November 2025
Growing Our Community of Curious, Brave Innovators Helen Winter, SWAG Clinical Director On 13 November 2025 we launched something genuinely special: our very first SWAG Innovates Together Forum — a…
Read MoreMaking a Difference – Cancer and Domestic Abuse
Making a Difference is a short animation created in collaboration between SWAG Cancer Alliance and the University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) Medical Illustration Team. It was…
Read MoreLeading the Way in Lung Cancer Innovation, Awareness and Support
North Bristol NHS Trust Assistant Chief Nursing Officer champions national efforts to transform lung cancer care As Lung Cancer Awareness Month shines a spotlight on the most commonly diagnosed cancer…
Read MoreSomerset NHS Foundation Trust: Nurse-Led Triage and One-Stop Pathways for Faster Urology Cancer Diagnosis
The Challenge Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) was facing delays in its urology cancer pathway, making it difficult to meet national Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) targets. Staff shortages, especially among…
Read MoreVicki’s Story: How my Lung Cancer Screening appointment gave me the courage to quit smoking
Vicki Lofts, 66, from Seend in Wiltshire quit smoking in May 2025 after smoking for 55 years. Her decision to stop smoking came after she had a lung cancer screening…
Read MoreCelebrating World Radiography Day: South West Late Effects Team
Radiotherapy is a key element of modern cancer treatment, enabling thousands of people to live longer after a cancer diagnosis. But with this progress comes a challenge: 1 in 4 people…
Read MoreLiver Cancer Awareness Month: Catching Liver Disease Early Saves Lives
Primary Liver cancer is one of the fastest-rising causes of cancer death in the UK. Yet, it often goes undetected until it’s too late. At Somerset Wiltshire Avon & Gloucestershire…
Read MoreDays Matter: Improving Urology Cancer Pathways at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The Challenge Patients at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GHFT) were facing long waits between appointments and tests in the urology cancer pathway. Limited diagnostic capacity and staff shortages, especially…
Read MoreDays Matter: Improving Urology Cancer Pathways at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
The Challenge Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SDHFT) faced several challenges in its urology cancer pathway. There weren’t enough local anaesthetic trans perineal (LATP) biopsy appointments, and delays in lab results…
Read MoreDays Matter: Improving Urology Cancer Pathways at North Bristol NHS Trust
The Challenge North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) was facing delays in its urology cancer pathway, especially for prostate cancer. Patients were waiting up to 15 days for their first clinic…
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