Bournemouth hospital surgeon sacrifices long locks for the sake of women's health live on Facebook

A consultant oncoplastic surgeon at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Miss Ishrak Hamo, will have her beloved black locks snipped off by a former patient to help raise funds for new equipment for women’s health patients.

The public will be invited to follow the event unfolding live on 22 May as it will be streamed on Bournemouth Hospital Charity’s Facebook page. Fittingly, the honour of cutting Miss Hamo’s hair will go to local hairdresser Tracey Verrall, who received treatment for breast cancer at the hospital after being diagnosed three years ago.

Having worked as a hairdresser for 30 years and faced cancer treatment herself, Tracey says she can appreciate how it feels as a cancer patient to experience the unpleasant side effects of treatment.

“I lost my hair through chemo and then I lost my hair through radiotherapy,” explains Tracey.

Miss Hamo, who practises in the Jigsaw Building of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, says she is sacrificing her pride for the sake of her patients.

“My first passion is my work and ensuring that my patients always receive the very best care,” explains Miss Hamo.

“Another passion of mine, like many other women, is my very long hair. This is why I have decided to cut my hair and raise money for my patients and unit while doing it.

“In my experience, patients are often most devastated with the ramifications of receiving cancer treatment, namely losing their hair. This is why I have also decided to donate my hair to make real hair wigs for cancer patients.”

To date, Miss Hamo has raised over £1,600 towards the cause with a number of former patients donating via her JustGiving page.

All funds raised will go towards helping Bournemouth Hospital Charity acquire new equipment and facilities to enhance patient care and help make treatment more comfortable – with a new ultrasound scanner for our gynaecological consultants the primary target.