New ‘one-stop’ breast unit opens to patients at Frimley Park Hospital

A dedicated £2 million breast care centre located in the new Frimley Park Hospital extension has officially opened to patients. The one-stop clinic is a specialist facility where patients can have a consultation, examination and several diagnostic tests in a single visit, instead of multiple separate appointments.

For the first time, patients coming to Frimley Park Hospital for a breast clinic appointment, will have a dedicated space to visit.

The one-stop service will help to keep waiting times to a minimum and ensure patients receive timely diagnoses and comprehensive care. The clinic provides a multidisciplinary approach, allowing various specialists - such as surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and specialist nurses - to collaborate and create a tailored care plan.

Patients are often seen by the team one to two days after a GP. Within a typical four-hour appointment they will be given a full assessment by the surgical team and have the relevant imaging. If required, the patient may also undergo a biopsy. Any areas of concern would be discussed either with a consultant or the breast care nurses at the same appointment.

The new unit, partially funded by a successful Frimley Health Charity breast care appeal, includes a large spacious waiting area, five consult examination rooms, two ultrasound rooms, two mammogram rooms with state-of-the-art 3D scanners as well as Contrast Enhanced Mammography, and a dedicated breast care nurses’ room.

 Every element of the unit has been carefully designed to make the patient’s visit as seamless and comfortable as possible. From the colour-coded rooms to help identify the different areas, to the separate exit routes to ensure that any patients who receive difficult news do not have to pass other patients in the main waiting area.

At the official opening of the new breast care centre, Isabella Karat, Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon and Clinical Lead Breast Surgery Frimley Health said:

“This centre is the result of years of fundraising, meticulous planning and hard work and I’m incredibly proud that we now have a dedicated unit to allow us to offer the best possible care for our patients."