BEAUMONT BREAST CENTRE OPENING

A huge thank you is owed to all our wonderful supporters and donors who responded so positively to the Fundraising Appeal that was launched in late 2019 for our new Beaumont Breast Centre.

Our goal was to raise the last €1m for a dedicated building for the symptomatic breast service in Beaumont Hospital. You, along with thousands of others, rose to that challenge. Whether you abseiled, hiked the pilgrim trails, walked, ran, played golf, waxed, shaved or donated directly your time and effort has had an enormous impact. As a direct result of what you did we are so very proud to tell you that, despite all the Covid related challenges of the past two years, the Beaumont Breast Centre was officially opened by Sabina Higgins on June 3rd.

This state of the art Breast Centre is spread over three floors in a purpose built setting in Beaumont Hospital. The building incorporates eight surgical consulting suites, five imaging rooms; three mammography rooms each with 3D tomosynthesis capability and two breast ultrasound rooms, a large breast prosthesis and post mastectomy underwear fitting suite and a counselling suite. The Cancer Clinical Trials Unit which facilitates national and international clinical trials is on the top floor with offices for clerical, clinical nurse specialists and data managers. A separate boardroom will allow the entire multi-disciplinary team to discuss personalised patient treatment plans.

Professor Arnold Hill, Professor of Surgery and Consultant Breast Surgeon informed us “There are a number of aspects of the building that will fundamentally change breast cancer care for the better. With everything in the one location, including imaging and examination facilities, along with a fully integrated Clinical Cancer Clinical Trials Unit we have the key to advance breast cancer care. It is through clinical trials and research that we learn what is going to prolong survival which will ultimately allow us to defeat this disease. This project has been made possible by the consistent and ongoing fundraising efforts of stakeholders like Beaumont Hospital Foundation, Breast Cancer Ireland, and Beaumont Hospital Cancer Trust”.

Speaking at the official opening of Beaumont Breast Centre, Dr Deirdre Duke, Consultant

Radiologist, said “It is a long awaited yet wonderful milestone to officially open the doors of Beaumont Breast Centre today. The Beaumont breast service is one of eight symptomatic breast services in Ireland. It is part of the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre which was recently accredited by OECI as a cancer centre only the second such centre in Ireland. This facility will allow us to provide the very highest level of quality service for patients with breast cancer symptoms in a holistic environment, focusing on patient comfort and dignity. We are so very grateful to our patients, families and friends who supported us and helped us to make our dream a reality”

Photographs courtesy of Marc O'Sullivan