Overview
On 18th July 2017 the Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme announced the appointment of surgical leads and clinical advisors for 14 new work streams, including breast surgery.
Professor Tim Briggs, Chair of GIRFT and National Director of Clinical Quality and Efficiency at NHS Improvement, said: “I am delighted that we have attracted another high calibre group of extremely experienced and enthusiastic clinical leads into the GIRFT programme.
“The fact that each work stream is led by an expert in the speciality is a vital part of the GIRFT methodology, because it means trust clinicians know they are dealing with people who really understand the challenges they face.”
Breast Surgery Leads
The Clinical Lead for Breast Surgery is Miss Fiona MacNeill, Consultant Breast Surgeon, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and Immediate Past President of the Association of Breast Surgery. Miss Tracey Irvine, Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been appointed as Senior Clinical Advisor.
Miss MacNeill has been a Specialist Consultant Breast Surgeon since 1996, was President of the Association of Breast Surgery from 2015-17 and speaks worldwide on breast cancer and oncoplastic surgery. She acts in an advisory capacity to a variety of Department of Health committees to optimise breast services and plan future cancer strategy.
Miss MacNeill said: “The GIRFT initiative has been met with huge enthusiasm from the breast surgery community; GIRFT is our opportunity to minimise unwanted variations in care and raise the quality of breast surgery to the very best that can be provided.”
Miss Irvine is an Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon and was Clinical Director of the Breast, Skin and Plastics Unit in Surrey where she had experience of delivering quality breast care in a financially challenging environment.
Miss Irvine said: “I am looking forward to using my experience, and working with our Clinical Lead and with the Association of Breast Surgery to ensure that we maintain high standards of breast care.”
Further information
You can find more information about the Getting it Right First Time programme on the website here.
You can access Professor Tim Briggs' presentation on GIRFT from the 2016 ABS Conference here.
View the April 2018 update here