Breast Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists
Our team of Breast Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists (BCNs) are available to support you and your family through your diagnosis and treatment. They provide clinical support and guidance with decision making related to treatments. They are able to offer emotional support and provide signposting to additional services offered locally and nationally
We work closely with the support offered by the Force Cancer Support centre and can also refer patients to our clinical psychologist.
Information and about us
We aim to meet you at the appointment when you receive your diagnosis of breast cancer and at various points in your treatment. We are available via our telephone service Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 4pm.
Our team includes a breast reconstruction clinical nurse specialist who supports patients through their reconstruction pathway.
The Breast Care Nurses support the National Living with and Beyond Cancer initiative. We aim to ensure that patients living with and beyond cancer access the care and support they need to lead as healthy and as active a life as possible, for as long as possible.
Personalising patient care is part of this objective and has four main elements:
- Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) and care planning
- Health and wellbeing information
- Treatment summary
- Cancer care review (by GP)
Our aim is to offer each patient a holistic needs assessment within 31 days of their diagnosis. This can however, be completed at any stage throughout the patient pathway.
To help provide information, education and support to our patients, we provide health and wellbeing information in this video link: vimeo.com/434312675/3b0bb5d9a0. This information is available in a written format if you would prefer.
After you have watched the video, we would be grateful if you would take the time to complete a short survey. This will allow us to monitor patient access and make improvements to the information we provided. Thank you.
A secondary breast cancer nurse whose role is to support patients with secondary breast cancer (where cancer has spread outside the breast and axilla) is also part of our team.
Contact us
Breast Care Nurses are available Monday to Friday: 8.30am - 4.30pm on 01392 402707
Out of hours/weekends/Bank holidays – please contact your GP or 111
If you have a surgical outpatient appointment and need to change it please contact our booking office on 01392 406992 stating your NHS number.
For other surgical related queries please contact your consultant surgeon’s secretary via the hospital switchboard on: 01392 411611
Breast Care Unit queries regarding booked mammograms, ultrasound scans and biopsies please call: 01392 402478
Oncology appointment queries: 01392 402117
Radiotherapy appointment queries: 01392 402115
Where will I be seen?
RD&E Wonford, Barrack Rd, Exeter EX2 5DW
Breast Care Unit, Level 2, Area N
Clinics
- Pre and post mastectomy
- Breast reconstruction
- Prosthetic fitting clinics
- Seroma aspiration
- Lymphoedema assessment and referral to the Lymphoedema CNS team at Heavitree Hospital
- Wound assessment
- Telephone support
Prosthetic and bra fitting service available
Bra fitting sessions run at the Force Cancer Support centre.
Prosthetic fitting clinic appointments are available through the Breast Care Nurse secretary Jackie Taylor 01392 402707
We are now holding some of our clinics over the telephone and remotely. We will discuss your preferences and what we can offer you on an individual basis.
Meet the team
- Gill Gray Lead Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Sue Avery Breast Reconstruction Nurse Specialist
- Katherine Bonnin Secondary Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Dawn Peters Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Mary Allen Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Sara Green Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Amanda Green Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Liz Powe Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Alice Osigli Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Sam Headon Breast Care Nurse Specialist
- Di O’Reilly Assistant Breast Practitioner
- Gareth Ballyn Breast Cancer Support Worker
Secretarial support:
Jackie Taylor/Jane Wells: Breast Care Nurse Secretaries
Patient information leaflets
We produce a wide range of leaflets which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital.
We also produce these in different formats including large print, please contact the department you are visiting for more information.
Useful videos
We have a wide range of videos which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital.