 |
|
 |
About Us
|
The Nigel Porter Unit and the Breast Assessment Centre are situated next door to each other on The Royal Sussex County Hospital site. The Nigel Porter Unit treats symptomatic patients, whilst the Breast Assessment Centre screens women who are on the Breast Screening Programme and also performs imaging for patients of the Nigel Porter Unit.
The Nigel Porter Unit
The Nigel Porter Unit for breast care deals largely with ladies who present with a lump or other breast abnormality. Screening cases subsequently found to require operative intervention also come under the auspices of the Unit. The Unit runs two rapid access clinics – one on Wednesdays, one on a Thursday – and a number of other clinics throughout the week – some of these are identified for specific types of patients, such as post-operative clinics.
Over the course of a year the Nigel Porter Unit sees 3000 new patients, 300 of whom approximately will have malignancy.
The Unit cover the East Sussex area but would see patients from anywhere in the country, should they require.
Two consultant surgeons work in the Unit, Mr Andrew Yelland, who specialises in onco-plastic and reconstructive surgery, and Mr Charles Zammit - Breast and Endocrine Surgeon. There are also two Associate Specialist Surgeons, all of whom work within the Royal Sussex County Hospital, and Princess Royal Hospital (Click to find out how to get to the Princess Royal Hospital) sites.
At the Nigel Porter Unit there is a team of Nurse Specialists who run nurse led clinics, as well as see patients following consultation on diagnosis, and offer support and guidance on treatment options.
|
A Brief History
|
Before the Nigel Porter Unit was built, the service in Brighton was scattered on different sites in conditions that were sometimes far from ideal, eg patients were being seen in Outpatients Departments often with only a curtain to separate themselves from other each other, and in the words of consultant surgeon Brian Hogbin, (who retired in 1997) `the job could be done more quickly and efficiently in a purpose-built centre..
In 1991 an appeal was launched by Mr Hogbin, Mr Bob Gumpert, and Mr Nigel Porter to raise funds for a £195,000 unit that would provide a contact point for patients with breast problems. The success of the appeal led to the opening of the Nigel Porter Breast Care Unit in April 1993, one of the first purpose built outpatient facilities for women with breast disease in this country. Mr Nigel Porter was the Consultant whom the Unit was named after, he worked in Brighton as a general surgeon between 1963 and 1985, using his surgical skills in a wide variety of operations. He was at the forefront in treating patients with breast cancer.
There was a government guideline called `The Golden Rule. which dictated that patients receive an appointment to be seen within one week of the Nigel Porter Unit receiving a referral from their GPs.
In January 1990 breast screening started in East Sussex with Eastbourne and Brighton, provided from the Breast Assessment Centre, together with mobile screening clinics which tour the county, staffed by specialist radiographers.
Dr Rubin is clinical director of the breast screening program and has been consultant manager of breast care. In the early 90s his team was involved in a national study which showed that two view mammography was more effective than single view mammography for first time attendees. More recently East Sussex, Brighton and Hove, together with Leeds and Nottingham, piloted the extension of screening invitations to older women.
|
A New Unit and the Pink Dolphin Appeal
|
In August 2001, The Chief Executive announced to the NPU and BAC that their future at the RSCH was uncertain. The Central Sussex Partnerhip Programme said that physical accommodation was poor and access unacceptable, the inadequate space at RSCH, less than 400 square metres in all, was considered to be inadequate and would directly impact on the ability of both the screening service and the Nigel Porter Unit to meet current and future NHS targets. Also with the upper age limit for screening being raised to seventy, the combined effect would be to considerably increase the number of films to be reviewed and stored.
It was proposed that a dedicated specialist unit be provided at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Haywards Heath.
The future of breast services in Haywards Heath was also uncertain. Because of its relatively small catchment area, PRH saw fewer new patients with breast cancer than the national guidelines. This could affect the long term viability of the unit. Women in the rural areas would want the new facility at Haywards Heath.
On Monday 8th October 2001 The Argus launched a campaign to fight the plans to transfer the service out of the City to Haywards Heath. There were 12 days before the final decision would be made. In 11 days 30,000 signatures were collected from people demanding it remain in the city.
The decision to move was put on hold also because the campaign to keep breast services in Brighton won the backing of an independent panel which included a range of experts, including the medical director of the Princess Royal, a breast surgeon from the RSCH and the hospital's clinical director of the BAC, Dr Rubin.
As an interim measure, in February 2003 two temporary Portacabins were erected around the BAC, the costs of this, including the excavating and also refurbishing the existing building, have cost about £485,000. In addition the running costs of around £78,000 for up to five years.
In April 2003 the Pink Dolphin Appeal was launched to raise money to help fund a new Unit which at that time was planned to be on the RSCH site.
In April 2006 Brighton & Hove PCT proposed the possibility of re-locating the services to 177 Preston Road, an office block-style accommodation.
|
The Park Centre for Breast Care, 177 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6AG
|
Click here for transport information for the Park Centre for Breast Care.
The broad aims of the service will be to ensure that 177 Preston Road provides the platform to deliver an integrated, patient friendly and responsive service. All the current breast assessment and symptomatic services delivered at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will transfer to 177 Preston Road; symptomatic on the 3rd floor and Imaging on the 2nd floor.
In addition there are principal changes to the service as follows:
- All screening in the Brighton catchment area will take place from 177 Preston Road to fully optimise the facility.
- Breast Oncology clinics currently provided at the Royal Sussex County site will be provided from 177 Preston Road.
Work on refurbishing the building at 177 Preston Road started after Easter 2008. A working group has been set up to identify the specialist medical equipment that will be required in the new unit. Not only will all breast care services be under one roof but the service will be digital using the latest technology to allow the taking, reporting and viewing of images. This will mean that hard copy films will be phased out both for the symptomatic patients and screening programme women.
|
|
|
Copyright 2006 Pink Dolphin Appeal
|
|
