A NEW prostate cancer nurse at Poole Hospital has been funded by a charity campaign.

Prostate Cancer UK and the Movember Foundation have joined forces to provide the trust with the services of prostate specialist Roger Wheelwright.

The appointment will see him provide essential care for men with the potentially deadly disease, including dedicated clinical and psychological support for patients and their families, for 18 months.

Mr Wheelwright, who has worked for the hospital previously leading pioneering clinical trials, said the addition will allow the hospital to keep up with the rapid progress in treatment that has been made.

“Care and treatment for men with prostate cancer has greatly advanced over the last 20 years and there is a lot of work going on to support that,” he added.

“Roles like this one will enable us to continue the fight against the disease.

“I’m really excited to start this new post and would like to thank Prostate Cancer UK for their support.”

This will be the first specialist nurse funded by Prostate Cancer UK in the south west. The hospital says it will build on the success of the two prostate cancer clinical trials already being undertaken at the Dorset Cancer Centre, which is based at Poole Hospital. Tasia Malinowski, of Prostate Cancer UK, said the charity is delighted Mr Wheelwright has accepted the post.

She added: “A diagnosis can turn a man’s world upside down in an instant and making sense of which treatments to choose or coming to terms with side effects can be incredibly daunting.

“However, over the next 18 months, Roger will be supporting recently diagnosed men across the south west every step of the way, through treatment and beyond. “Prostate cancer is set to become the most common cancer overall by 2030 which is why Prostate Cancer UK is recruiting people to its Men United movement and is encouraging men to do something together to help beat the disease.”

Each trial at Poole Hospital has specific criteria that participants must meet in order to take part, but people interested in being part of a prostate cancer clinical trial should contact Mr Wheelwright at Roger.Wheelwright@poole.nhs.uk.