Bristol Medical School

Immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy does not delay start of chemotherapy or radiotherapy – but may increase risk of complications and readmission

Having immediate reconstruction following a mastectomy does not delay the start of a patient’s adjuvant breast cancer therapy but may increase the likelihood of complications requiring hospital readmission in the first six weeks after surgery, according to new research led by researchers at the University of Bristol and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital presented at the UK Interdisciplinary Breast Cancer Symposium (UKIBCS) in Manchester – hosted by leading charity Breast Cancer Now.

Nearly 1 in 5 UK emergency department patients cared for in corridors/waiting rooms

At any one time, nearly 1 in 5 emergency department patients in the UK is being cared for in corridors, waiting rooms, and other non-standard ‘overflow’ spaces—an approach known as escalation area care—suggest the results of a large observational study. The research, led by the universities of Bristol and Edinburgh, North Bristol NHS Trust and NHS Lothian, is published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.