Although COVID and the associated cost increases have led to a short delay, construction work on our brand new purpose built Breast Care Unit is now due to start this September. Preparations are almost complete and the new unit will be built next to our Women’s Hospital building.
Due to the incredible generosity of our supporters, earlier this year we surpassed our original £2 million fundraising target. We have now reached £2,170,000. We will be continuing to fundraise throughout the year as building work gets closer and throughout the construction phase, to raise as much as we possibly can for the new unit, so please continue to support us.
Our Breast Care Team treat and care for more than 2,000 new patients and more than 3,000 follow up patients every year. More women and men are surviving breast cancer today but there are also more people being diagnosed than ever before. One in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
For the first time, this new Breast Cancer Unit will mean patients can receive all of their tests in one, purpose-built facility, making the experience less stressful and more comfortable. The new unit will bring all of the relevant services together, enabling patients to have their clinical examination, an ultrasound scan, a mammogram, a biopsy, a prosthesis fitting, an appointment with a doctor and an appointment with a specialist nurse all in one place.
This will mean shorter waiting times and prevent patients having to move around the hospital, visiting multiple departments and get undressed and redressed several times. The new facilities will include:
- A dedicated counselling space for difficult conversations
- A changing room, designed specifically to ensure patient privacy and dignity
- A fitting room for bras and prostheses
- A comfortable waiting area, away from other busy outpatient areas and treatment rooms
- Art and natural light to make the atmosphere as relaxing as possible
- A mammography room
- An ultrasound room
- A wellbeing room for support groups and wellbeing activities
Below are some design concepts of the new unit to help visualise how it may look.
Categorised in: Trust news and events
This post was written by Communications Team
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