Shapely display at Ipswich Hospital as final flowers installed

A 1,000 flowers have been created for the 'Blooms for Blossom' appeal, which began at the start of October.

And now, with every one of the hand-crafted metal flowers in place, they take on the shape of the Blossom appeal's logo - a bra.

The shape echoes the cause, which has been working for four years to raise funds for a new breast care centre at Ipswich Hospital.

The Blooms for Blossom flowers are all unique and handcrafted (Image: ESNEFT)

Currently, patients must visit several locations across the hospital for breast appointments.

Not only does this mean the hospital lacks one main area for clinics or treatment, but it also creates issues with dressing - often patients will have to get dressed and undressed several times over the course of a visit.

The new £5.3m breast care centre will provide a one-stop facility for patients and have separate areas for young people and men. There will be designated areas for diagnosis and an outside garden area.

But the charity still needs £850,000 to make the new centre a reality.

Kim Collingridge, lead breast cancer clinical nurse specialist at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We want to make sure everyone receives the best possible care when they need it.

"A new breast care centre would make a big difference because we would have dedicated clinics for specific types of work.

"If we could work with more focus - we wouldn't be thinking we're seeing a new patient and then a follow up appointment. It would enable us to be more organised and make better and more effective use of our time."

More than 13,000 women go to the hospital each year for routine screening, with an additional 300 women referred by their GP each month.

Anyone can donate and have their own limited-edition flower, handcrafted by Suffolk Ironworks with no two blooms the same. They each come stamped with their own number and a certificate explaining their special meaning.