A patient-focused evaluation of breast care nursing specialist services in North Wales

Background to the study: Breast care services for Wales have developed in response to government requirements that breast cancer care should be delivered only by specialist multi-disciplinary teams in cancer units treating at least 100 new breast cancer patients per year.Study aims: This paper presents the findings of the third stage of a three-stage project. The aim of this phase of the study was to evaluate the Breast Care Nursing Specialist (BCNS) service from the patients’ perspective.Methodological issues: A postal questionnaire was distributed to women with breast cancer who had experienced the BCNS service (n=172). The questionnaire included a 4-point, 28-item Likert scale as well as open and closed questions.Findings/conclusion: The findings revealed positive perceptions of the value of the BCNS service, particularly in relation to support around the time of diagnosis. Areas requiring improvement included meeting information needs of women with breast cancer, availability of BCNSs, and providing emotional support to family members and to women in the longer term as well as providing practical care. It is concluded that increasing the numbers of BCNSs, and providing training in counselling as well as access to information and how this can be shared with women, would do much to address these deficits in service provision.