Punch Consulting steered a team of healthcare professionals, patients and organisations, with expertise in the diagnosis, support, treatment and follow up of patients considering reconstruction, to develop clinical guidelines in response to negative findings from the National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit. This major audit, involving more than 18,000 women, revealed clear variations in practice across the country. Although the rates of breast reconstruction have increased, the audit found that access to this type of surgery varies enormously across the UK. Amongst other findings, it also exposed much higher than expected complication rates and levels of post-operative pain, and that the quality and availability of information to enable women to understand the physical impact of surgery was often poor. The audit signaled a real need to set new ‘best practice’ guidance to drive up the standards of breast reconstruction right across the UK.
The ‘Oncoplastic Breast Reconstruction: Guidelines for Best Practice’ establish the key elements of best practice in the management of patients considering reconstructive oncoplastic breast surgery. The clinical guidelines will aid the wide range of professionals and service commissioners who are involved in this increasingly sophisticated area of clinical practice and a version has also been developed to support patients faced with a bewildering range of choices.
Dr Alexis Willett, Director of Punch Consulting, said: “As breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, these new guidelines have the potential to benefit thousands of people across the country each year. I’m honoured to have been part of such a worthwhile project and I hope the guidelines make a real difference to the many patients facing reconstruction after breast cancer.”
The guidelines are supported by the National Cancer Director, Professor Sir Mike Richards CBE, and are endorsed by a wide range of professional bodies and patient organisations.
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Further information:
For further information about the ‘Oncoplastic Breast Reconstruction: Guidelines for Best Practice’ please contact: Dr Alexis Willett, Director, Punch Consulting: alexis@punchconsulting.co.uk
- A copy of the guidelines can be found at: http://www.associationofbreastsurgery.org.uk/publications-guidelines/guidelines.aspx
- The National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit was commissioned and funded by the Healthcare Commission to assess and improve the quality of care provided to women with breast cancer undergoing mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery in England and Wales. For information about the audit please see: http://www.associationofbreastsurgery.org.uk/audit/nmbra.aspx
- Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK with around 50,000 people being diagnosed with the disease each year. The vast majority of these will require surgery as part of their treatment and many will go on to have breast reconstruction.
- Punch Consulting is an independent consultancy with expertise in research, strategy and communications. The consultancy was founded in June 2010 and since then has provided support to a wide range of health and science organisations. For more information please see: http://www.punchconsulting.co.uk
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