Service Description: The Breast Care Unit at the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust cares for patients with all forms of breast cancer and benign breast problems.
The units offer a range of specialist services including:
- one-stop clinics led by specialist breast clinicians, which aim to diagnose and treat patients within two weeks of referral
- a multidisciplinary team approach to care, with weekly team meetings and key workers allocated to all newly diagnosed cancer patients
- image-guided biopsy, mammography and breast ultrasound
- access to breast MRI, and stereotactic prone biopsy (based at Exeter)
- access to immediate or delayed breast reconstruction by referral to Exeter or in conjunction with surgeons from RD&E
- clinics with specialist breast oncologists from Exeter ensuring rapid access to chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- access to Breast Care Nurse Specialist support from the time of diagnosis
- a full range of diagnostic services including comprehensive pathology and tumour immunohistochemistry (ER, PR, HER2, E-Cadherin etc), CT, isotope bone scanning (at Exeter) and bone density DEXA scanning
- family history clinics are nurse led and based at NDDH
- breast pain clinic run at NDDH, Torrington and Ilfracombe
A wide range of support services are also available, including:
- Breast cancer support groups including groups for younger women and patients with secondary breast cancer a multidisciplinary team approach to care, with weekly team meetings and key workers allocated to all newly diagnosed cancer patients
- Specialist lymphoedema treatment clinics
- A wide range of patient information and resources
- Access to palliative care support and hospice care, where necessary.
Service Location: Inpatients are treated on the female surgical wards at North Devon District Hospital’s Petter Ward. Day case patients are treated at the Day Surgery Unit at the North Devon District Hospital.
The unit is based at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH). The NHS Breast Screening service is based at Exeter.
Clinics for breast pain are at NDDH, Ilfracombe and Torrington.
