Barts Health NHS Trust has announced plans for a dedicated breast cancer centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in a move designed to tackle some of the lowest breast cancer survival rates in the country.
“This investment will transform the experience and outcomes for people affected by breast cancer across East London, ensuring world-class care closer to home,” said Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity.
The new centre is supported by a £16.6m investment from Barts Charity and will bring together all breast cancer services for the first time across the Trust, including diagnostics, surgery and reconstructive care.
Currently, East London patients are treated across multiple sites, including The Royal London Hospital, Whipps Cross and Newham.
Having all services consolidated at St Bartholomew’s will help to deliver faster diagnoses, more coordinated treatment pathways and improved patient outcomes.
East London currently experiences higher levels of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis compared to the national average, and the breast cancer hub is a strategic move to close the survival gap.
“The centre will allow clinical teams to work more effectively together, reduce waiting times, and offer the full spectrum of breast care, from early diagnosis to complex reconstruction, in a purpose-built environment,” said Dr Charles Knowles, Clinical Director for Surgery at Barts Health.
The project will see two buildings on the St Bartholomew’s Hospital campus, currently leased to private healthcare provider Nuffield Health, returned to NHS use.
The facilities will house three new operating theatres, inpatient wards and dedicated consulting and imaging suites designed specifically for breast cancer patients.
The expansion will offer capacity for more than 2,000 inpatient cases and up to 75,000 outpatient appointments annually.
Work on the breast cancer hub is expected to begin in 2025, with the first patients to be treated in early 2026.
This isn’t the first time the Trust has sought to bring services together under one roof. In 2015, the Trust successfully created Barts Heart Centre to bring together cardiac services on one site.
If successful, these integrated-care models could inform wider NHS approaches to specialist cancer care, combining clinical integration with strategic reuse of existing assets.
In 2025, the Trust is also undertaking the £23m redevelopment of Whipps Cross Hospital.