MORE than 200 women a week will benefit from a new breast imaging unit in Worcestershire, which is set to open later this month.

It is hoped the new unit at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre, which is due to open on Tuesday, October 20, will cut waiting times, improve privacy and reduce stress for women who receive breast screening at the site, which is currently carried out in a mobile van.

The announcement has come as part of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a national campaign increasing awareness of the disease, its symptoms and ways it can be treated.

The facility will house a brand new ultrasound machine paid for by the Kidderminster League of Friends along with a new digital mammography unit within a refurbished suite of rooms.

The new unit will also mean breast surgery and stereo biopsies – a procedure using computer imaging to take a tissue sample for testing – can now be carried out at the hospital.

Consultant breast radiologist at the hospital Dr Penny Haggett said she hoped the unit would vastly improve the experience of patients visiting the site.

“Previously we have had limited use of the ultrasound machine in the x-ray department which is in high demand for all types of examination,” she said.

“By having our own machines, it allows us to screen more women and give them a less stressful experience.”

Although the unit is attached to the main hospital, it is set slightly apart from the main treatment centre, as recommended by the national breast screening programme.

The hospital is still looking for donations of pictures to decorate the unit. Anyone who can help can contact superintendent radiographer Debbie Fox on 01527 488 055.