Trust improves services for breast cancer patients
Improvements have been made to the services and care a hospital Trust provides for breast cancer patients in Shropshire, Telford and mid-Wales.
The changes follow The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust’s (SaTH) participation in Breast Cancer Now’s Service Pledge programme, which focuses on making patient-led improvements to breast cancer services.
Joint leads for The Service Pledge Mandy Wilson, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Blossom Lake, Breast Surgical Specialist both at SaTH, support this collaborative approach to service improvement.
Mandy Wilson said: “We have been working closely with Breast Cancer Now to improve our breast service for Shropshire patients and the delivery of care. Through questionnaires and workshops, we identified a range of service improvements.
“This has led to several positive changes, including improved tailored support at diagnosis with increased information available and a Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) at the time of surgery. We also offer increased practical and emotional support through access to support groups and additional activities.”
Blossom Lake added: “Additional guidance has also been provided to patients about surgery and side effects including information on support services such as Keeps Abreast and Breast Cancer Now’s Someone Like Me service, patients will now also have opportunities to meet other patients.
“We have also improved patients access to the teams they will need to contact, providing them with cancer care navigators’ details and more contacts through the Living Well app.
“The Breast Cancer Now Service Pledge has allowed us to work in partnership with our patients. This collaborative working with Breast Cancer Now has allowed us to implement changes to patient care and improve our service.”
Teresa Boughey, Non-Executive Director at the Trust, said: “We are very proud to have completed all the actions in our Breast Cancer Service Pledge, which will make a positive change for our patients. The breast cancer care team is committed to improving the best care and support for everyone affected by breast cancer.”
Claire Rowney, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now, said: “We’re delighted that our Service Pledge programme has helped SaTH to achieve the very best standards of care for people with breast cancer.
“Since 2003, the Service Pledge programme – jointly sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company Ltd and Roche Products Ltd in 2022/23 – has been dedicated to improving breast cancer services.
“Crucially, the patient-led improvements made at SaTH are already delivering positive changes that will improve the lives of people diagnosed and living with breast cancer, and I’m confident this will continue.”
