New Yeovil breast cancer unit will be 'different world' for patients

ITV News' Richard Payne spoke to patients, fundraisers, and staff about the new centre

Health leaders in Somerset say a new multi-million pound breast cancer centre will help them detect the disease early and offer a "different world" for patients. The team at Yeovil Hospital treat 56 new suspected cancer patients every week, with a growing number of them young women.

The new Maple Unit concentrates all services in one place for the first time, raising hopes of increasing its capacity to match demand.

Radiographer Dr Stella Campbell explained: "It means we've got the potential to perform even better.

"Before, patients have had to travel around the hospital, needing them to be allocated an hour or so for their appointment.

"Now, they need only to go from one room to another next door. It cuts their appointments down and gives us the potential then to see more patients in that time."

There's no shortage of demand with Yeovil Hospital making 5,000 appointments every year to treat the UK's most common cancer – 2,000 new patients and 3,000 follow-ups.

The hope is tests following referrals will happen within 14 to 20 days to allow diagnosis inside 28 days.

"This will be a different world," adds Dr Campbell. "lt will be interesting to see if the publicity around this unit prompts women to check for signs and symptoms early and book themselves in here. I hope so."

State of the art equipment will give staff the chance to carry out more detailed checks to find if any cancer is present.

Built at a cost of nearly £4million, most of the money has come from fundraising by, amongst others, former patients who recognised the importance of bringing facilities at Yeovil more up to date.

Patient and fundraiser Tania Bartlett recalled her treatment.

"Once, the breast cancer care team had to find me a cupboard when I was having a bit of a meltdown because there was nowhere else to go for some privacy.

"Other times we'd have an appointment in one place and then a different place the following week."Another patient and fundraiser, Karina Parsons, added: "Yeovil and its surrounding areas should be extremely proud of what we've achieved together.

"We're not one of the biggest towns but we certainly know how to dig deep."

More than five years in the making, the unit will showcase the evolution of the treatment and care of breast cancer patients.

Counselling rooms featuring art and natural light are nextdoor to clinical areas.

"More people who can relate to it are more likely to donate and want to support," said Head of Charity James Kirton.

"Almost one in seven women get breast cancer and huge numbers will come into this building and be told 'you haven't got breast cancer'.

"They still understand why it's so important to have the unit."