Thanks to generous donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities – the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board – has purchased six new scalp cooling units and associated five-year maintenance and training worth over £113,000. The new units are for use in the Chemotherapy Day Units at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest; as well as Glangwili, Bronglais, and Prince Philip hospitals.

Scalp cooling offers cancer patients the opportunity to lessen the hair loss experienced during chemotherapy. The treatment works by reducing the temperature of a patient’s scalp by just a few degrees immediately before, during and after having chemotherapy. This reduces the blood flow to hair follicles, which may prevent or reduce hair loss.

The scalp cooling devices are not deemed mainstream treatment and so the charity-funded equipment provides patients in the Hywel Dda region with an additional service which is above and beyond what is provided by the NHS.

S4C presenter Mari Grug, who has been receiving care and treatment for cancer, said: “Cancer has a way of stripping everything from you, but thanks to the scalp cooler my hair is something that has remained, well most of it anyway.

“I’ve been using the scalp cooler since 2023 and at the beginning I did lose a lot of hair. But the recently updated machine has been more efficient and effective and I’m very grateful that I’m able to use it with my treatment,” she added.

Bry Phillips, Senior Nurse Manager - Oncology, said: “We are extremely grateful that kind donations have funded the new scalp cooling equipment for all four of Hywel Dda’s acute hospitals.

“The prospect of hair loss can cause considerable anxiety. The opportunity to retain hair during treatment can offer people a chance to maintain a sense of privacy and feel more like their normal self at a very difficult time.

“Our aim is to add value to local NHS services by using our charitable donations to help improve the experience of those who are undergoing what can be arduous treatment,” he continued.

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Thanks to the incredible generosity of our local communities, we’re able to enhance NHS services across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

“Every donation makes a meaningful difference, and we are truly grateful for each and every one we receive,” she added.

Hywel Dda Health Charities is the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board. The aim of the charity is to make a positive difference to the health, wellbeing and experience of NHS patients, service users and staff across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The generous charitable donations received from patients, their families and local communities do not replace NHS funding, but are used to provide services and activities above and beyond what the NHS can provide.

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk