During Covid-19 

Please note that the documents on this page would usually be given to you during a face to face appointment. During Covid-19, your breast case nurse will advise/call to advise you which useful links and information sheets are relevant to you. This information includes the personal folder with information about the service. 

The Breast Surgery Department specialises in diagnosing and managing breast disorders, and where necessary breast surgery is conducted to remove cancerous tumours and lymph nodes.  If breast surgery is required this is currently being carried out at the County Hospital in Hereford.

All patient's that are booked for surgery are requested to shield from the date of their COVID swab. All patients will be contacted within 72 hours prior to surgery date to arrange a COVID-19 screen. Please be advised if a patient who has been allocated a surgery date and catches COVID prior to this their surgery, their surgery will be postponed for at least 28 days from a positive test.

The County Hospital offers 10 patient clinics every week allowing excellent access to the breast services. These are specialist breast clinics where full diagnostics, including ultrasound, mammograms and biopsies are performed.

Clinics are a ‘one stop’ service, with all tests carried out in one visit, wherever possible. Breast abscesses can usually be treated in these clinics on an outpatient basis. Clinics also provide advice on family history.

Please see the patient information further down this page.

Outline of the Department

The Department has two dedicated Breast Surgeons, a Breast Physician Associate, a Specialty Doctor Breast Surgeon and a Breast nurse Practitioner

• Miss Jill Donnelly                
• Mr Kaustuv Das
• Dr Pamela Young  (Breast Physician)
• Mr Claudiu Bucata (Specialty Doctor Surgeon Breast)
• Mrs Vidya P Chandran (Visiting Consultant)

Breast surgeons are supported by the Breast Care Nurses, who provide a specialist service for patients following a diagnosis of breast cancer. Services provided include:

• Information on treatment options and post operative problems
• Support; one to one support for emotional and psychological issues, as well as practical problems
• Specialist advice for lymphoedema (mild and uncomplicated, related to breast cancer) and breast reconstruction, prosthetic fitting and assessments

The nurses are in attendance at breast clinics and are available in the Macmillan Renton Unit 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Links with other Departments

The department also has links with the following areas:

Breast Oncology Services

• Provided by Dr Jessica Bailey, Dr Nina Reeve, Ruth Bees on Tuesday’s and Dr Daniel Nelmes on Friday's.

Secretaries:

• Donna Holmes - Telephone: 01432 355444 extension 5751
• Kathy Brown - Telephone: 0300 422 3830

Breast Reconstruction and Oncoplastic Surgery 

Available at The County Hospital via:

• Mr Kaustuv Das
• Mrs VP Chandran (Visiting Consultant)
• Mr Vikram Vijh, and Mr Srinivasan Plastic Surgery Consultants based in Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, Birmingham

Services provided locally include Mammoplasties, Implant reconstruction, Lattismus Dorsi Flap reconstruction, fat transfer (lipofilling) and symmetrisation reduction etc.

DIEP flap reconstruction is provided at the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, Birmingham.

Telephone: 01432 364024

Genetic Service

• Provided by Dr Trevor Coles at the Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Women's Hospital.

Telephone: 0121 607 4757

Lymphoedema Specialist Services 

• Breast cancer patients with more complicated lymphoedema problems can be referred to the above service based at Gaol Street Health Clinic in Hereford and providing outreach clinics.      

Contact: Emma Hope, Stephanie Powell and Shirley Taylor Lymphoedema CNS
Telephone: 01432 378996  

Patient information

We will discuss the information below with you when you attend your appointment at Hereford County Hospital with the breast service team, as appropriate.

However, if you require any further information please do contact our Macmillan information and support service or if you have a clinical nurse specialist at the hospital and you need to ask a question please give them a ring.

Breast Conditions

• Breast pain (BCC71)
• Duct ectasia (BCC82)
• Hyperplasia and atypical hyperplasia (BCC78)
• Intraductal papilloma (BCC79)

Types of Breast Cancer

• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (BCC39)
• Invasive ductal breast cancer (BCC210)
• Medullary breast cancer (BCC185)
• Tubular breast cancer (BCC201)
• Invasive lobular breast cancer (BCC45)
• Inflammatory breast cancer (BCC23)
• Paget's disease of the breast (BCC38)

Important Information and Diagnosis

• Personal Folder
• Treating primary breast cancer (BCC4)
• Mummy's Lump (BCC164)

Surgical Advice

• Vacuum Assisted Biopsy
• Your operation and recovery (BCC151)
• Wire Guide Localisation
• Sentinel Node Biopsy
• Wound Care
• Drain Care
• Exudrain Booklet
• Exercises after breast cancer surgery (BCC6)
• Reducing the risk of lymphoedema (BCC15)
• Breast prostheses, bras and clothes after surgery (BCC123)
• Understanding your pathology results (BCC161)

Reconstruction

• Breast reconstruction (BCC7)
• Understanding breast reconstruction
• Types of Reconstruction 

Chemotherapy 

• Chemotherapy (Macmillan) 
• Chemotherapy (Breast cancer now)
  
  

Hormone Therapy

• Tamoxifen (BCC20)
• Anastrozole (BCC31)
• Exemestane (BCC46)
• Letrozole (BCC64)

Menopause   

• Menopause (Breast cancer now) 
• Menopause (Macmillan)  

Living with and beyond Breast cancer  

• Living with and beyond breast cancer

Family History

• Family history, genes and breast cancer (BCC32)

Support Services

• Breast Cancer Haven
• Yeleni Therapy and Support Centre

Holistic Needs Assessment

• Holistic Needs Assessment

Living with secondary breast cancer    

• Living with secondary breast cancer (Breast cancer now)
• Living with secondary breast cancer (Macmillan)