Hospitals launch improvements for breast cancer patients

Staff and patients from hospitals in Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster and Bassetlaw, and Sheffield, as well as Chesterfield in North Derbyshire, have worked alongside leading charity Breast Cancer Now as part of the charity’s innovative Service Pledge programme.

Breast Cancer Now’s Service Pledge – jointly sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company Ltd and Pfizer Ltd - is dedicated to improving breast cancer services by bringing together patients, healthcare professionals and Cancer Alliances to work collaboratively.

Since signing up to the initiative in April 2022, South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance has gathered feedback from nearly 1,000 primary and incurable secondary breast cancer patients on their experiences and what matters most to them, as part of a review of its current services.

As a result of questionnaires and workshops over the past 15 months, a range of service improvements have been identified and committed to by the hospitals including updating photo resources of surgical options to help patients make an informed decision, recruiting additional staff to ensure patients get the right information and support, and improving the provision of information for patients in the waiting room.

Improvement plans for each hospital have been created and will be rolled out over the next 18 months.

Julia Dicks, consultant breast surgeon and clinical director for South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance, said: “These improvements will increase the quality of experience for patients with breast cancer and their loved ones and carers.”