Beacon Hospital has officially opened its new Beacon Breast Centre, a purpose-built facility providing rapid access to breast cancer diagnosis and assessment, treatment, aftercare, and support services, all under one roof.
The hospital said the Centre had doubled in physical size and tripled its patient capacity.
“With modern, private, and patient-focused surroundings, it offers timely access to specialist care, reduced waiting times, and faster reporting of results.
“At the heart of the Centre is its rapid access Triple Assessment Clinic, enabling patients to undergo clinical assessment including breast examination, radiological assessment with mammography and/or breast ultrasonography, and image-guided core needle biopsy as required in one coordinated pathway, with further management dictated by the outcome of Triple Assessment.”
Terry Boyle, Consultant Breast Surgeon and Medical Director of Beacon Breast Centre said, “In the last number of years, we at Beacon Hospital have seen a 35% increase in our diagnosis of Breast Cancer patients, and a 25% increase in Breast Radiology patients. We have also seen a changing age profile, with more patients being diagnosed at a younger age, in line with national statistics. With that has comes a significant increase in demand for private screening, with follow-on treatment as required.
“The new Breast Centre is designed to provide patients with the highest standard of care in the most efficient and compassionate environment. By integrating our services under one roof, we are reducing wait times and ensuring patients have direct access to leading specialists at every stage of their journey.”
The consultant-led Centre brings together a multi-disciplinary team of experts, including specialist consultant breast surgeons, a specialist breast radiology consultant team, consultant breast histopathologists, consultant medical and radiation oncologists, breast reconstruction surgeons, radiographers, physiotherapists and a team of specialist breast care nurses including clinical nurse specialists and advanced nurse practitioners.
The Centre also provides care for symptomatic patients with benign breast disease, those requiring family history/high-risk surveillance, and routine screening. The oncoplastic and plastic surgery programme offers patients a wide range of post-treatment reconstruction options.
Michael Cullen, CEO of Beacon Hospital, said, “The over €2.5 million investment in the new Breast Centre demonstrates our commitment to expanding capacity and improving access to world-class cancer care. We are ensuring that more patients can be seen quickly, diagnosed accurately, and supported through every stage of their treatment in modern, patient-focused surroundings.
This newly expanded Breast Centre is supported by Beacon Hospital’s comprehensive Cancer Care service which offers the latest in Diagnostics, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Radiation Therapies and Immunotherapies.”
This investment is in addition to Beacon Hospital’s broader €75 million capital investment programme currently underway, which is expanding capacity (70 new beds and new Emergency Department) and facilities across the hospital campus. The hospital also recently invested €30 million into a new state-of-the-art neuroscience centre, the Beacon Brain Institute.
