A CARPET of white daffodil bulbs are to be planted at Worcestershire Roy-al Hospital to raise funds for lung cancer.

Two hundred bulbs are to be planted in the hospital garden – one for each person diagnosed with lung cancer in Worcester and Kidderminster each year.

A planting ceremony for the White Daffodil campaign will be taking place at the hospital on Friday, November 1, coinciding with the start of national lung cancer awareness month.

Visitors to the hospital on that day will also be greeted by the sight of a 12ft pair of inflatable lungs, provided by the Roy Castle Foundation, in the main reception.

People will also be able to buy their own white daffodil bulbs, with proceeds going towards one of the campaign’s aims of setting up a new support group for lung cancer patients and their carers.

Chris Jordan, lung cancer specialist nurse at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, said: “By buying their own white daffodil bulbs, people will be supporting us in starting up a support group for newly-diagnosed patients and their carers.

“We want to run a rolling six-month programme which gives advice and support in a number of areas, including nutrition, finances, physiotherapy, pain management, art therapy and aromatherapy, among other things.”

She hopes that the carpet of bulbs being planted at the hospital, which have been donated by Hayloft Plants, of Pershore, will be a reminder of the impact lung cancer can have.

“We are hoping that when the daffodils come into flower in the spring they will serve as a visual reminder of the number of patients diagnosed every year and the impact that this has and remind people of the signs and symptoms they need to look out for,” she said.

To buy bulbs visit hay-loft-plants.co.uk or to do-nate directly visit worcsacute.nhs.uk/whitedaffodil.

l Symptoms of lung cancer can include a persistent cough, being short of breath, blood in your phlegm, lasting chest or shoulder pain and unexplained tiredness or weight loss.

Anyone displaying sym-ptoms for more than three weeks is urged to visit their GP immediately.