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The communications team can only provide a condition check if we have the correct spelling of the patient’s name and/or their exact address or date of birth. This is to ensure that we have identified the correct patient. In addition, we need to seek consent from the patient/relatives before giving a condition check. No information will be given without the consent of the patient or their relatives.

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Should a major incident occur, the hospital has a contingency plan that includes arrangements for the media. There will be regular updates on the situation as well as opportunities for interviews. Depending on the type of incident, we will decide at the time on the best vantage point for photographs and filming.

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Commentary – Normal text Conversation – Bold italics This is a short information film about what it is like to have an MRI of your breasts at Southmead Hospital.   You will be met at reception by your Radiographer and escorted to the MRI scanner suite.    The scanner is very noisy and you are likely to hear it as you enter the MRI suite.    ‘Hi I’m Jo, one of the Radiographers and I will be doing your scan today.  Can you just confirm your date of birth please?’ The Radiographer will ask you a number of questions to make sure it is safe for you to have the scan and you will be asked to sign a consent form.  Kinlay has kindly agreed to share her experience for the purposes of this film and I took the opportunity to ask her how she was feeling before the scan.   (Kinlay )– ‘Fine, I have had them before.  I’ve had two previously so I do know what to expect.  The first one I had was a bit…..when I first went into the room and the position that you have to be in, but it was fine.’. (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘So is there anything in particular that you are worried about or not looking forward to this morning?’ (Kinlay) ‐  ‘ No I don’t think so…it gets a little tiny bit uncomfortable because it’s sort of 20 minutes you are laying there but um…. it fine’ (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘Lastly,  how do you feel about having that injection first?’ (Kinlay) – ‘ Im fine with needles.  My veins aren’t brilliant so they might have to poke around a bit but that’s fine!’ You will need a needle placed in a vein in your arm so that the Radiographers can inject contrast medium during the scan.  This makes cancer show up clearly on the MRI and is an essential part of this type of Breast MRI scan.  If you know that your veins are difficult to cannulate then it may be a doctor that puts the needle in your arm.   (Lyn Jones, Consultant Radiologist) ‘Sterile salted water just to keep it open.  You might feel a little bit of cold going up your am, I would like you to tell me if it’s sore in any way, is that going in ok?’ (Kinlay) – ‘Yep’ (Lyn Jones, Consultant Radiologist) –  ‘Good.’ (Scanner noise) The MRI scanner is a large magnet in the form of a tunnel.  You will be asked to lie face down on a table that has holes in for your breasts and the radiographers will take time to ensure you are in the correct position and are relatively comfortable.    (Jo Robson, Superintendent Radiographer) ‘Bring your arms up to the side.  Now we will adjust your position just once we get everything into place’. You will also be given a call button that you can press if there is a problem and you wish to be taken out of the scanner immediately and terminate your scan.  Once you are positioned correctly, the table will slide into the tunnel.  You will then have the cannula in your arm connected to an injector pump which you can see the Radiographers preparing here.  You will be given headphones to protect your ears from the loud noise of the scanner.   You can choose whether or not to have music played through the headphones but the music will not completely drown out the noise of the scanner as it is very loud.  The Radiographers will be able to see you throughout your scan and they will also be able to hear you if you call them.   (Jo Robson, Superintendent MRI Radiographer) – ‘Ok Kinlay, the banging noise is going to start in a moment, would you like some music to pass the time?’ (Kinlay) – ‘Yes please’ (Jo Robson, Superintendent MRI Radiographer) – ‘Ok we will get that started for you.’ During your time inside the scanner the Radiographers are acquiring a series of different types of information called sequences.  Each sequence makes a different strange noise.    (Scanner noise) (Jo Robson, Superintendent MRI Radiographer) ‐  ‘Ok you are doing really well, on the next scan the dye is going to come into your arm.’   (Scanner noise) After her scan I asked Kinlay some questions about her experience.   (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘ So how are you feeling now you’ve had the scan?’ (Kinlay) – ‘Fine’ (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘Is there anything you want to say about it?’ (Kinlay) – ‘Just that it’s a little uncomfortable towards the end, just being in that position for a long time but it’s not painful in anyway, like a mammogram for example, it’s just that little bit uncomfortable and you think yeah I’m ready to get out when it comes to the end, but fine yeah.’ (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘How did you feel while you were in the machine, was there anything you did to take your mind off it?’ (Kinlay) – ‘Yeah, it’s really noisy but you stop hearing that eventually I think?  With the headphones on your mind starts to wander and it’s there but it’s not all encompassing. ‘ (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘So how would you describe having an MRI scan to someone who has not had one before in a short sentence?’ (Kinlay)‐ ‘It’s just lying on a bed really!  It really is just lying on a bed face down.  Not painful, just lying on a bed!’ (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘Thank you very much’ (Kinlay) – ‘No problem’ (Anna Mankelow, Programme Manager, Avon Breast Screening) – ‘Thank you’ We hope you have found this short film helpful and look forward to welcoming you for your MRI in the near future.  

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.

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 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. 

Telephone: 0117 414 7626