Medical qualification is launched to safeguard breast cancer services
An innovative scheme to train more doctors to become expert breast clinicians has been launched by a collaboration of professional bodies and healthcare educators.
The Credential in Breast Disease Management is a three-year accreditation programme for post-foundation doctors. It has been created by The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the Association of Breast Clinicians, with training funding and input from Health Education England (HEE) and additional support and resources from the National Breast Imaging Academy.
The qualification provides a standardised national training route for doctors looking to become holistic breast clinicians, with a curriculum covering breast examination and imaging, disease management and genetic risk factors.
As well as delivering on the need for structured training, its creators hope the qualification will be a vital move in safeguarding the future of hospital breast units. Breast services across the UK are becoming constrained as a result of increasing patient referrals and a shortage of breast radiologists.
The scheme has received HEE funding towards 10 training places and is being piloted in seven English hospital trusts; the ambition is to roll it out across the UK. On September 30, the RCR hosted an open day to formally welcome the first seven recruits.
Picture: The new recruits at the RCR credential welcome day are Dr Hina Faisal, Dr Mayada Haydar, Dr Natalie Roe, Dr Asma Javed, Dr Ferdows Eskandari, Dr Sravya Singamaneni and Dr Laura Coates.
Published on page 32 of the November 2019 issue of RAD Magazine.