Staff, patients and visitors at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, in Huntingdon, have raised over £500 by taking part in the ‘Wear It Pink’ day.

They also baked and bought cakes for the national fundraiser, which is part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Helen Smith, an imaging secretary for the radiology department and a breast cancer survivor herself, coordinated the day.

She said: “This is a cause very close to my heart, having been treated for breast cancer myself at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

“I was diagnosed in 2014 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thankfully it saved my life.

“Several of my colleagues have been, or are being treated, for breast cancer and last year we sadly lost a dear colleague to this dreadful disease.”

Helen added: “However, treatment is improving all the time, but funding is needed for research to improve every patient’s experience to increase chances of survival.

“A very big thank you to colleagues who have helped organise the day and all staff, patients and visitors who supported our efforts.

“It was a fantastic day and was so nice to meet staff who came from other departments who we would normally never see.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is held throughout October, and the team will be accepting donations for the rest of the month.

Money raised from the ‘Wear It Pink’ day will be donated to the Breast Cancer Now charity, which has calculated that one person every 10 minutes is diagnosed with the disease in the UK.

The advice offered from the charity is to be aware of any changes in the breast and to contact a GP if any new or unusual changes occur.