NHS rapped by breast cancer charity
- 00:01:13
- ITN
NHS rapped by breast cancer charity
Only one in ten women with breast cancer gets reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, an audit has found.Anna Wood, head of policy and campaigns for Breast Cancer Care, described the situation as "totally unacceptable"."Anyone with breast cancer should be able to expect the highest standards of treatment and care, whenever they need it, wherever they may live," she said.The situation was also condemned by doctors and experts who said that a delay in having reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy had unwarranted side effects.Chris Caddy, consultant plastic surgeon and member of the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (Bapras), said: "Whilst immediate breast reconstruction has a longer anaesthetic and recovery time, it tends to achieve better cosmetic results, smaller breast scars and only one hospital stay."Jonathan Boyce, head of clinical audits at the Healthcare Commission, added that breast reconstruction at the time of the operation "can help reduce the number of operations needed as well as minimise the psychological impact of a mastectomy".The study also found that a fifth of trusts in England performing breast cancer surgery do not employ a consultant radiologist, pathologist or oncologist specialising in breast cancer diagnosis or treatment.© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
ITN | March 7, 2008
