It is 10 years since the Bristol Breast Care Centre opened its doors to its first patients.
Historic Beaufort House at Southmead Hospital was refurbished to create the centre, which opened in 2014 bringing all breast care clinics under one roof.
Around 65,000 people have attended the symptomatic service, having all their tests done in one day through a one-stop clinic, since the Southmead Hospital centre opened its doors. This means that patients find out whether they have cancer or not by the end of this one visit, with approximately 85% of people being discharged after their first appointment.
With the opening of the centre, Avon Breast Screening moved to be based at Southmead Hospital, and in the 10 years since, more than 444,000 people have attended screening appointments at Bristol Breast Care Centre, the Central Health Clinic and at mobile units. Breast care nurses, radiology assistants and consultants have seen more than 20,000 patients in assessment clinics. Around 3,880 breast cancers have been diagnosed through routine screening over the last 10 years.
Patients who attend the Breast Care Centre benefit from a focus on innovation and research, ensuring they access the very latest treatments available. Hundreds of patients have been part of research trials, and a study that could lead to a national change of treatment guidelines around the clearance of lymph nodes is due to start next year.
Since the Bristol Breast Care Centre opened, a Family History Clinic has been set up for people who may be at increased risk of breast cancer due to relatives having had cancer.
Clinical lead for Breast Services at North Bristol NHS Trust, Michelle Mullan, said: “Opening this Centre provided us with a foundation, bringing together breast care services, both symptomatic and breast screening, under one roof for the first time locally, and we have continued to grow, develop, and innovate our service over the last 10 years.
“We have seen an increase in the number of people we see coming through our doors, and that has brought its challenges, but we are so proud of the service and care we offer those who are referred to us.
“It is a credit to every colleague who makes this service what it is, from our fantastic administrative team who are on hand to support patients through their journey, to the clinical teams and our research colleagues who are ensuring we are at the forefront of offering our patients the chance to participate in the latest medical trials. We are also grateful for the incredible support we receive from our charity partners BUST (Breast Cancer Unit Support Trust), who have been supporting our breast services for more than 30 years.”