helpline: 0300 30 200 30
helpline@porphyria.org.uk

Elizabeth

Custom Van Show: 9th-10th September 2017

For the fourth year running, Ray Lancaster and Jenny Coombs are organising the Revolution Custom & Classic Van Show in Skegness, to raise funds for the BPA. Van owners and enthusiasts will be coming from all over the country to show off their custom vans. There will be entertainment and competitions for adults and kids! Starts at 10am each day.

The event will be held at the Pine Trees Leisure Park, Croft Bank, Skegness Lincolnshire, PE24 4RE (Tel: 01754 762949). http://www.pinetreesholidays.co.uk.

Anyone interested in helping with the event/a stall can contact Ray on 07799 392 771 or magicoazulcc@yahoo.co.uk. If any business or individual has a raffle prize that they would like to donate, then please let Ray know.

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International Porphyria Awareness Week (IPAW)

22 April 2017 – 29th April 2017

After discussions with the American Porphyria Foundation (APF) and the International Porphyria Patients Network (IPPN), we are joining them in holding an International Porphyria Awareness Week (IPAW) from 22 to 29 April 2017.  We are planning on suggesting a number of fundraising and awareness initiatives that you might like to become involved in. More details of these will be circulated in early 2017 via our website and Facebook page, as they become available.

We feel this will help strengthen the impact that we can have, not only on a local level, but on a global level too.

We will endeavour to highlight the plight of those struggling with this condition using the media, our member’s personal stories, fundraising events, conferences, and any other means that we can.

Members like YOU, can help us to do this! If you have any ideas for awareness, publicity or fundraising that you would like to explore with the BPA, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Money raised can be paid through Just Giving or cheques should be sent, with details of your event, to The Treasurer, British Porphyria Association, Rothlea House, 7-8 Quarry Lane, Butterknowle, Bishop Auckland, DL13 5LL.

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2017 Autumn Conference and AGM: Cardiff

Our 2017 Autumn Conference and AGM will be held at the Holiday Inn Cardiff North M4, J32 on Saturday 7th October 2017 (9.30 am to 4.15 pm), with the support of Dr Badminton and the team from the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. As always, we will have updates on Clinuvel and Alnylam as well as various other talks from doctors, nurses and patients about living with porphyria. There will be plenty of opportunities to talk with others affected by porphyria, as we plan to group sessions together to allow a specific cutaneous section and an acute section, meaning that people will be able to use a breakout room for informal discussions, instead of attending talks that may not be as relevant to them.

Please let us know if you would be interested in attending as, based on the popularity of our 2016 events, we expect places to fill quickly. Please forward the names of anyone wishing to attend with you to: liz.gill@porphyria.org.uk or call 0300 30 200 30 to confirm your attendance.  The BPA will send further information to those interested a few weeks before the actual event.

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We need sporting fundraisers for 2017

The BPA have a number of places in some very popular sporting events in 2017.  Please let any of your friends or family know about these if you think they may be interested.  We can send you specific details to forward on, if desired. Please contact liz.gill@porphyria.org.uk for more details, or to express your interest in applying for one of these charity places.

Love running?

The BPA has eight remaining places available in the Great North Run on Sunday 10th September 2017 – this event is a half marathon (13.1 miles) from Newcastle to South Shields. The successful runners need to confirm that they will put the training in to complete the required distance and that they commit to raising £300 for the BPA.

The BPA has five places in the Great South Run on Sunday 22nd October 2017 – this event is a 10 mile run from Southsea to Portsmouth.  The successful runners need to confirm that they will put the training in to complete the required distance and that they commit to raising £300 for the BPA.

Love cycling?

We have one place available in the Ride London-Surrey 100 2017 to be held on 30 July 2017. Cyclists must confirm that they are happy to put in the training to be able to cycle 100 miles in 8.5 hours and that they commit to raising £750.00 for the BPA.  

These places will go on a first come, first served basis, so please contact the BPA, via: liz.gill@porphyria.org.uk or on 0300 30 200 30, ASAP to confirm your place.

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NAPS Scotland

NAPS Scotland: NHS Scotland continues to commission support for Scottish acute porphyria patients and their doctors from the English NAPS service. These arrangements came into operation as of 1 April 2016.

There is a formal shared care arrangement between NAPS doctors (mainly from Cardiff) and the Scottish Inherited Metabolic Disorders Service (Dr Eve Miller-Hodges (East) or Dr Peter Galloway (West). Outreach clinics will be held once every six months in either Edinburgh or Glasgow, and have continued virtually throughout the COVID pandemic. Patients in Scotland suffering attacks of an acute porphyria will benefit from the knowledge and best practices of NAPS, while still being seen through an effective network of local porphyria specialists. Doctors caring for hospitalised patients will be able to access the NAPS out-of-hours clinical advice service, which will ensure appropriate access to diagnostic testing and haem arginate treatment for patients in Scotland.

The aim is that new patients will be seen within six weeks initially, although this may take the form of a virtual appointment or telephone consultation to establish what support is needed. Patients will then be offered an appointment for one of the scheduled outreach clinics.

NAPS contact details: this is the emergency number at the University Hospital of Wales: 029 2074 7747. This 24/7 number should be used at all times for new patients, and out of working hours for existing NAPS patients.

Scottish Inherited Metabolic Disorders Service (SIMDS) contact details (referrals are only accepted from another clinician, e.g. GP or other specialist):

  • Dr Eve Miller-Hodges: Metabolic Unit, Anne Ferguson Building, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU
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