We are delighted to announce that Dr David Bloomfield has taken up the position of Chairman of Sussex Cancer Fund. David has been involved with the charity for many years and is now taking the reins as Chairman. He hopes to follow the good work and dedication Dr George Deutsch gave to the role for many years.
David is a Consultant in Clinical Oncology at the Sussex Cancer Centre. He started his Sussex leg of his medical career in 1998 when there were just 4 consultants. In the 20 years since, the team has grown to 27 consultants.
Speaking of his new position as Chairman David said “Sussex Cancer Fund is a hugely important local charity, nimble enough to plug the holes in services for patients and can tap into the work and research of Brighton and Sussex medical school.”
The Sussex Cancer Fund was created in 1981, by consultant oncologists, Dr Deutsch, Dr Hodson and Dr Murrell. Originally called the Sussex Cancer Treatment Fund, the charity progressed to include the funding and development of research programmes, became known as the Sussex Cancer Fund for Treatment and Research and finally the Sussex Cancer Fund. The goals of the fund are to work hand in hand with the NHS to give all Sussex cancer patients the best available treatment and facilities.
Some of the achievements of the fund in recent years have been to refurbish patient areas, including an area for chemotherapy, clinic rooms, waiting areas, reception and access to the Sussex Cancer Centre.
The Fund was recently instrumental in building and creating the Macmillan Horizon Centre, working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Care and BSUH NHS Trust.
The Macmillan Horizon Centre opened in November 2016. It was designed with input from people affected by cancer to make it the best place to offer the support and services that people in Sussex need.
Now what next for the Sussex Cancer Fund? David outlined his vision for the charity “Sussex Cancer Fund have been very successful in several major ‘bricks and mortar’ projects like the Horizon Centre and Eastbourne’s radiotherapy centre. There is also a lot of building development going on with the Royal Sussex County Hospital project. So, the view is to focus on more research projects. Currently Sussex Cancer Fund is supporting 2 research projects in conjunction with Brighton and Sussex Medical School. These are being undertaken by Dr Cressida Lorimer and Dr Sally Appleyard, specialist registrars in Clinical Oncology who have taken 2 years out of their training to dedicate to research. We hope to help fund more of these projects. All while continuing to provide the little things that make patients treatment more comfortable which will also be an important part of the charity’s ethos”.
In addition to his career as a consultant, and his official duties to the charity, David has also undertaken his own charity activities. One most memorable project was that David led a Sussex Cancer Fund team on a trek through the Jordanian Mountains, which raised over £60k for the charity.
On a more fun note David has other charitable connections and is the unofficial guardian of the Village Donkeys. His home village in Sussex has a long tradition of being home to donkeys, two of which reside in David’s garden.
On taking up his position of chair David said “It is such a privilege to be able to try and help so many patients and their families at such a difficult time of their lives”.
If you would like to find out more about Sussex Cancer Fund’s work and how you can help please visit their website www.sussexcancerfund.co.uk.
