Ministers laud innovative breast cancer surgery approach

Government ministers have commended the development of a new breast cancer surgery approach that allows patients to return home on the same day as their procedures.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and health minister Paul Burstow have visited a centre in Birmingham that is using the new system, which adopts a streamlined approach to clinical procedure reviews, listening to patient views and integrating treatment between hospitals and the community.

This new service model allows surgery recipients to return home the same day and recover in comfortable surroundings, an advance that has been welcomed by patients while saving money for the NHS.

Mr Clegg has underlined the importance of investigating the potential offered by this new model for other types of treatment.

"This treatment works, it's better for patients and it is expanding so that more women can access it," he explained.

Over the course of this year, the government is funding a number of symptom awareness campaigns for various types of cancer, including a scheme targeting women over 70 at risk of breast cancer.