Dr Hugo helps cancer support centre Maggie’s Southampton celebrate third birthday

Dr Hugo De La Peña, one of the UK’s leading breast cancer consultants, Royal College of Physicians Fellow and major Maggie’s supporter, will join Maggie’s Southampton’s Centre Head Gilly Howard-Jones to celebrate their third birthday ahead of World Cancer Day 2024.

Dr Hugo De La Peña became Maggie’s Clinical Advisor in Southampton last year and is joining the team to spread awareness of their work at an open day on Friday 2 February, very close to World Cancer Day (4 February) to celebrate the major role and impact Maggie’s has already created in the community.

As the centre opened its doors in the teeth of the pandemic, there has been little opportunity to celebrate this vital resource for people in Hampshire living with cancer - that is until now and they are doing it in style.

As clinical adviser for the centre, Dr Hugo helps ensure everyone at Maggie’s is fully informed around cancer treatments and research. He strengthens relationships with healthcare professionals and NHS Trusts and helps staff tailor and enhance the support at the centre according to patients’ and relatives’ needs.

“It is such an honour to be part of the wonderful Maggie’s birthday open day and celebrate the success the Centre has had since its creation 3 years ago,” Dr Hugo said.

“The more we can do to help people the better. Maggie’s is such a phenomenal organisation and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the Maggie’s family where I plan to be a familiar face at the Southampton centre for many years.”

Maggie’s is an international charity that provides free expert care and support in centres across the UK and online while also connecting patients and their families to trained specialists. The charity has 24 centres across the UK, all built in the grounds of NHS cancer hospitals, The centres are warm and welcoming spaces run by expert staff who help people live well with cancer.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southampton centre is now ready to celebrate its milestone birthday, having been unable to do so in previous years.

World Cancer Day, which takes place in early February every year, is an opportunity for the centre to open its doors to NHS staff, patients, relatives, guests and would-be supporters who want to find out more about its work.

Maggie’s Southampton Centre Head Gilly Howard-Jones said: “Everyone is always welcome in our centres, but we are delighted to be able to celebrate this anniversary this year by actively inviting people to come and see the centre for themselves and find out how we support people with cancer, as well as family and friends and possibly the hardest time of their lives.

“There will be tea and cake as well a lot of other activity – and of course we are incredibly pleased Dr Hugo will be there showing his support and championing what we do."

World Cancer Day, observed annually in February, is a global initiative focused on raising awareness, encouraging prevention, and fostering early detection and treatment of cancer.

For the last three years the theme has been "Close the Care Gap" to further emphasise the need to address disparities in cancer care and ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or location, has access to quality care and support. This year the aim is to challenge world leaders to attain a commitment to prioritise the eradication of health inequities.

Dr Hugo said: “Cancer does not discriminate or care about sex, race, age and social status, cancer care inequality has no role in modern life and Maggie’s is here to make sure no one faces cancer alone.”

Maggie’s in Southampton is situated in the grounds of University Hospital Southampton, 101 – 103 Tremona Road, Southampton and the open day runs from (timings please ie. 10am to 3pm). Guests are invited to simply ‘drop in’. To find out more about the centre visit https://www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-southampton/.