PATIENTS across Herefordshire and Worcestershire are set to benefit from £5million worth of improvements to breast imaging services.
A brand new breast imaging unit at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital officially opened yesterday with the new purpose-built extension replacing the previous mobile breast imaging unit.
It incorporates two dedicated rooms for breast mammography and ultrasound scans and is located close to breast surgery clinics to allow a seamless and accessible pathway for patients.
March will also see the opening of the newly extended Worcestershire Breast Unit at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, which also now incorporates additional screening and ultrasound facilities.
The expansion of services will enable more screenings to take place meaning patients awaiting diagnostic tests can be seen quicker. It will also provide space for more support services run by the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven charity.
In addition to these works to improve breast facilities across Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, three brand new mobile screening vans have also been funded to ensure new and improved screening technology is available and accessible to the eligible breast screening population across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
One of the vans will be permanently located at the Princess of Wales Community Hospital, Bromsgrove, with the other two vans replacing the previous vans which travel between Evesham, Malvern, Hereford, Tenbury, Bromyard, Ross-on-Wye and Leominster.
Tom Potts, Directorate Manager for Breast Services at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are delighted to be providing these new state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities alongside our existing diagnostic and breast surgery service.
“The new facilities will support us in our purpose to put patients first by delivering safe, timely and effective breast services for patients in our hospitals and the wider community both now and into the future.”
Steven Thrush is the consultant breast surgeon who conceived the idea of the Worcestershire Breast Unit at The Royal Hospital from which a capital campaign (which has since become the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven charity) raised £1.5million to build the unit.
He said: “In the six years since the unit opened, we continue to help more and more women and men across Worcestershire following a breast cancer diagnosis.
“This is largely due to the extra funds raised by The Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven charity.
“Indeed, the charity has made significant investment into this new extension, thanks to a donation from the Kildare Trust.
“As well as the screening areas in the new build, the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven charity will be using the expanded space for more support services for patients including Pilates, mindfulness and nutritional courses and support group meetings.”
