The breast reconstruction team We are a dedicated team specialising in breast reconstruction the team is
- Three consultants
- Registrars
- Two breast reconstruction nurses
- Breast Reconstruction Secretary
- Waiting List co-ordinater
Caroline Lewis, Plastic Surgery Breast Reconstruction Nurse Specialist, Registered Nurse with The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Year of qualification: 2008 from The University of the West of England (UWE)
Qualifications: UWE 2008 Dip HE Adult Nursing, 2012 UWE BS(Hons) Specialist Nursing, 2014 Birmingham City University, PG Adult Plastic Surgery
Specialty: Plastic Surgery
Clinical interests: Breast Reconstruction, Medical Tattooing, Camouflage Make-Up
Caroline’s professional background is in Burns and Plastic surgery at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT). Currenty she is a Specialist Breast Reconstruction Nurse here at Southmead Hospital, caring for pre-opertaive and post-operative patients. This involved liaise with the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) and working closely with Caroline Oates the Breast Reconstruction Nurse Practitioner, together with the Plastic Breast Reconstruction Consultants Mr Sherif Wilson, Miss Elena Prousskaia and Miss Catalina Estela. This enables her to understand the care needs of her patients and facilitates her nurse led clinics.
She is present at most out-patient’s appointments and Keeping Abreast support group proving information and support for patients and their relatives.
As part of Caroline’s role she has been involved in setting up the Breast Reconstruction the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program to ensure patients receive research based care. The ERAS is regularly audited and the information is reviewed and disseminated to the MDT. This has facilitated staff and patient educational programs.
Caroline believes that communication is key to providing patient centered care.
Caroline Oates, Plastic Surgery Breast Reconstruction Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse with The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Year of qualification: 1985 at Southmead Hospital
Qualifications: Swansea (1999) Adult Plastic Surgery, Bournemouth (2004), Nurse Practitioner Degree Gloucestershire University (2006) Breast Cancer Care
Specialty: Plastic Surgery/Breast Reconstruction
Clinical interests: Breast Reconstruction, Medical Tattooing, Tissue expansion, seroma drainage.
Caroline’s professional background is in Plastic surgery at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT). Currently she is a Plastic Surgery Breast Reconstruction Nurse Practitioner here at Southmead Hospital, caring for pre-operative and post-operative patients.
Her role is to facilitate and triage all referrals received by GP’s, Consultants and breast care nurses to ensure that patient are seen as soon as possible. She is also responsible for ensuring that immediate breast cancer patients are seen and operated on within Cancer target guidelines.
She books in CT scans, pre-assesses patients, clinically exams and completes blood test on patients as well as several other extended roles, similar work to a Junior Doctor under taking ward rounds and facilitating discharging patients home. She is also responsible for organizing the referrals for the oncoplastic meetings which take place every two weeks between Plastic surgery and the local Breast care team discussing the appropriate care pathway for each individual patient. This is then disseminates to the whole team.
Caroline runs several nurse led clinics at Southmead and Gloucester Royal Hospital, throughout the week as well as a telephone clinic for patients with concerns and problems. She is also available during consultant led clinics for advice and support.
She has regular contact with the surrounding breast and plastic surgery units to ensure communication and patients care are always at the forefront of treatment.
She is actively involved with the enhanced recovery program by introducing patients to this in pre-assessment and explaining their care pathway. As part of Caroline’s role she has been involved in setting up the Breast Reconstruction the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program to ensure patients receive research based care. The ERAS is regularly audited and the information is reviewed and disseminated to the MDT. This has facilitated staff and patient educational programs. Caroline believes that communication is the key to providing patient centered care and she is passionate about the care of her patients.
Wendy Rodman, Breast Reconstruction Team Secretary
Wendy has worked at North Bristol NHS Trust for 31 years as a medical secretary. Currently she works for the Plastic Surgery Breast Reconstruction Team working for Mr Sherif Wilson since 2005 when he became a Consultant Plastic Surgeon. At that time we had one Breast Reconstruction Specialist Nurse Caroline Oates whom I also work for.
Over the years the Breast Reconstruction service has grown immensely and we now have additional Consultants to our team, Ms Elena Prousskaia and Ms Catalina Estela whom Wendy also secretary to, with the addition of another Specialist Nurse Caroline Lewis.
They are a very close knit team and work well together. The booking of appointments for our patients needing breast reconstruction to seeing them in the clinic, to their surgery and aftercare is held within her remit.
Andrea Thompson, Patient Pathway Coordinator
Telephone: 0117 414 7626