ABS Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

The Association of Breast Surgery is proud to announce the winners of its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, aimed at recognising exceptional contributions in the field of breast care.

The award ceremony took place at the ABS Conference 2025 in May. 

ABS Nursing Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

Sue Holcombe 

Sue Holcombe joined The ABS in 2006 and has been a member ever since. She is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and was appointed Nurse Trustee from 2019 and was instrumental in setting up the Nursing committee and, improving levels of nurse engagement within the ABS, and organising the first ABS nursing conferences in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

ABS Lifetime Achievement Award Surgical Winners

Fiona MacNeill

Fiona MacNeill was the first female President of the ABS and as joint clinical lead for GIRFT project, she visited each of the 130 Breast units in England with Tracy Irvine (from 2017 to 2019), evaluating breast surgery practice across the UK with the aim of reducing variations in practice and improving patient outcomes. 

Fiona is the recipient of several prestigious awards (both National and International) including the ‘Silver Scalpel’ ASiT trainer of the year award in 2006, the Pride of Britain’ award in 2007 for operating under adversity, and the inaugural Querci della Rovere Prize for ‘Excellence in Cancer Surgery” in 2014. 

Fiona has been instrumental in breast surgery education. Following on from Dick Rainsbury as Royal College Tutor, Fiona standardised and popularised oncoplastic breast courses and pioneered the concept of oncoplastic MDT. Along with Robert Mansel and others she delivered NEW START national training programme for SLNB (2005 – 2009 collaboration between RCS and Cardiff University). It became standard practice, and women were spared unnecessary axillary surgery. 

Dick Rainsbury

President of ABS from 2011-2013, Dick Rainsbury was an early proponent of breast surgery as a subspecialty, with many considering him to be the ‘Father of Oncoplastic Breast Surgery’ in the UK. He liaised with plastic surgeons along with Kieran Horgan and developed TIG Oncoplastic Fellowships in 2002. 

Dick is an innovator and educator. As the Foundation Tutor in breast surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England he co-wrote several dissection manuals that remain in use on courses today, was a forerunner of modern oncoplastic practice for partial breast reconstruction which permitted BCS for larger tumors, and pioneered the development of modern breast care practice by the development of MDT working, the establishment of formal clinical guidelines and QA of clinical practice.

Together with Leena Chagla, Dick founded & co-chaired the International Forum of ABS, which went on to become the International Committee, and has successfully obtained grants of >£150,000 for projects in sub-Saharan Africa, which he continues to lead even after retirement.