Cheshire Independent Issue 208

DECEMBER 2025 18 Independent HEALTH & WELLBEING HUNDREDS of peo- ple across Greater Manchester have avoided life-chang- ing illness in the past year thanks to NHS teams focusing on prevention. Around 380 major health emergencies, including 180 heart attacks and 200 strokes were avoided – that’s the equivalent of a heart attack every other day and a stroke every two days across the city region. Greater Manchester faces a particularly acute challenge when it comes to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The region experiences the highest death rate from CVD in England and that is over twice the national average. The disease claims nearly 5,500 lives annu- ally in the area, leading to an estimated loss of over 63,000 years of life. In an attempt to change this, in the past year, Greater Manchester GPs have been identify- ing people who are not currently getting the care they need to stay well. These patients received an ‘enhanced review’ cov- ering things like their Body Mass Index (BMI), cholesterol, blood pres- sure, kidney function, blood sugar levels and smoking status. Those behind the pro- gramme say blood pres- sure checks and support alone have prevented an estimated 78 heart attacks and 144 strokes. And as well as saving lives, the programme has saved an estimated £6-8million in health and care costs in its first year. Doctor Claire Lake, deputy chief medical officer at NHS Greater Manchester, says: “Every heart attack or stroke prevented is a family spared the worry and dis- tress of a loved one being seriously ill. A HOSPITAL nurse has revealed how a two-minute mammo- gram helped to save her life and is now urging women to attend when invited for a screening. Despite having no symptoms, Sharron Sanderson accepted her invitation for a mammogram from the NHS’ National Screen- ing Service in early 2023 to rule out any unknown cancer. To her shock, ini- tial results identified an anomaly in one her breasts and following fur- ther ultrasounds, biopsies and MR scans, was told she had an invasive lob- ular cancer in both of her breasts. Sharron, a Lead Radi- ology Nurse at a hospital in the North West, says: “I had absolutely no idea, I had no symptoms. “I know how lucky I am that I went for my mam- mogram when I did. Fif- teen per cent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have an invasive lobular cancer, which has a high mortal- ity rate because it doesn’t form a lump and is hard to feel through touch.” In Sharron’s job in radiology, she regu- larly works with and supports those waiting for a cancer diagnosis, but nothing could have prepared her for how it would feel to receive her own diagnosis. She says: “It was a very strange feeling, when you’re told it’s you it was as though the Earth shat- tered. It felt as though every time I went for an appointment it was more bad news, but my mind- set was that I wasn’t ill. “I stayed in work right the way through until my surgery, it was important for my men- tal health to be able to distract myself and give myself a focus.” Sharron was diagnosed on February 14, 2023 and received her surgery to Prevention focus delivers Reviews: Blood pressure checks and support have prevented an estimated 78 heart attacks and 144 strokes (Photo credit: Greater Manchester NHS) “These results show what can be achieved when we act early, use the latest evidence, and focus on prevention. This is just the start, and we expect even greater benefits in the years ahead.” This pro- gramme is part of NHS Greater Manchester’s BeCCoR programme (Beyond Core Contract Reviews). BeCCoR helps GP practices go beyond standard contractual obligations to identify and support patients at highest risk of heart attacks, strokes, and dia- betes complications. If you are aged 40 to 74 and do not have a pre-ex- isting health condition, you should be invited to an NHS Health Check by your GP or local council every five years. ‘Two-minutes that saved my life’ Nurse shares her cancer journey Speaking openly: Sharron during her treatment remove the cancer at the end of May. This was later followed by six months of chemotherapy and then radiotherapy. Now recovered and back in work, Sharron often reflects on what her life could look like if she hadn’t taken up her mammogram invite. Sharron says: “I’m very fortunate. If I didn’t go for the mammogram I wouldn’t be here now – the cancer would be spreading. “The mammogram is not painful, just mildly uncomfortable. Two min- utes of discomfort saved my life. It’s unfortunate to have cancer, but it is always better to find it early. These screening programmes are there to catch it. That invite let- ter is so important – the sooner you catch it, the better the outcome.” Nearly three years since receiving her diag- nosis, Sharron speaks openly about the chal- lenges within her breast cancer journey and the support she received along the way. She says: “Although it was hard to have cancer, the hardest part was the hair loss, as that changed my identity. “The scars don’t bother me as they are my signs I’m still here. I’m a sur- vivor. But, looking in the mirror, I saw a stranger, “However, you do learn to love this new person, as this person was stronger than I ever knew I was, and I grew to love the new me. “You get some funky hairstyles. My daugh- ter said on the day I lost my hair, ‘mum you know your head is the shape of a pea’, so even in the darkest times, there are times to laugh, and she was right, so sadly you can guess my new nickname. “After spending many months indoors through- out my chemo, it felt suddenly overwhelming when I started to return to a busier life.” More information about breast cancer, including links to help and support, is available on the NHS website.