New breast care unit plans for County Hospital

If Stafford Borough Council approves the plans, a new breast care unit will be built at County Hospital.

University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust has submitted the application for the two-storey building, which is proposed to provide diagnostic facilities and clinic space.
The breast care unit (BCU) is earmarked for land at the eastern edge of the Weston Road hospital, will have a corridor link connection to the existing outpatients department. A landscaped garden area is also planned, to provide seating and space for quiet contemplation outside.

A planning statement submitted as part of the application said:

“North Midlands Breast Screening provides a service for the women of North Staffordshire, Mid Staffordshire and the surrounding areas. Breast screening is performed to detect cancers at an early stage.

“Women between 50 and 71 years of age who are registered with a GP are invited for breast screening according to a three-year schedule. Screening mammograms are performed at two units; one in Hanley and the other at County Hospital.

“The new BCU will accommodate two separate areas for diagnostic imaging which includes mammography and ultrasound imagery and will also be equipped to tend to surgical outpatients. Critically, the new service will allow clinics to run concurrently by allowing improved throughput which includes ‘two week wait clinics’, cancer MDT follow ups, breast prosthesis, wellbeing and counselling services.

“The proposals will facilitate a new efficient and compliant service for the breast care service. In addition to the two separate areas for the diagnostic imaging and breast surgical outpatient services, there are future aspirations that the unit will offer the very latest in surgical treatment and imagining such as tomography guided biopsy, contract enhanced tomography, fusion ultrasound and ultrasound vacuum assist excision to increase patient throughput.”