What you need to know
- University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust formally opened a GBP 15.3 million Breast Care Unit at County Hospital, Stafford, on Monday 5 October 2026.
- The unit, which took its first patients in April, combines imaging, diagnostics, outpatient clinics, treatment and patient support in one building.
- The trust said more tests can now be done in Stafford, reducing the need for some patients to travel to Royal Stoke University Hospital; funding and activity figures were not disclosed.
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) formally opened its GBP 15.3 million Breast Care Unit at County Hospital, Stafford, on Monday 5 October 2026, the trust said in an announcement posted on 6 October. National Health Executive reported the opening on 7 October. The unit has been seeing patients since April and brings imaging, diagnostics, outpatient clinics, consultations, treatment and patient support into one purpose-built facility.
The building contains four consultation rooms, one enhanced treatment room, three counselling rooms, two mammography rooms and two ultrasound rooms. New diagnostic technology means more tests can now be carried out at County Hospital, reducing the need for some patients to travel to Royal Stoke University Hospital, the trust said.
Opening and design
The formal opening was performed by former patients and community representatives who helped to shape the unit’s design. Mr Sekhar Marla, consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon, said the unit was the result of many years of planning and teamwork across UHNM. He said the trust had outgrown its previous unit and that developments in technology meant it needed facilities that could support the way breast care is delivered today. Helen Ashley, acting chief executive, described the unit as a significant investment in breast care at County Hospital that brings more services together closer to home.
The unit is one of a series of projects at County Hospital. It follows the Staffordshire Treatment Suite, the North Midlands Hand Centre and the GBP 9.8 million Day Case Unit, according to the trust.
What was not disclosed
The announcement does not say how the GBP 15.3 million was funded, for example through national capital allocations, the trust’s own capital budget or charitable donations. It does not give the number of patients the unit is expected to see each year, its appointment capacity, staffing levels, which specific tests have moved from Royal Stoke, or the suppliers of the imaging equipment. No completion date for construction or breakdown of the cost between building works and equipment was published.
Our reading
Analysis by The Healthcare Daily.
- The unit is the fourth County Hospital project listed in the announcement, after the Staffordshire Treatment Suite, the North Midlands Hand Centre and the GBP 9.8 million Day Case Unit. Together they suggest a continuing shift of planned and diagnostic work to Stafford; the trust says the breast unit reduces the need for some patients to travel to Royal Stoke, which may also free capacity there.
- The trust has not published activity figures for the two mammography rooms and two ultrasound rooms. The gain it describes comes from putting consultations, imaging, diagnostics and treatment in one building, which can cut the number of separate visits a patient needs.
- Without a stated funding source, other trusts cannot tell whether the project was paid for from routine capital, a national programme or charitable funds. That limits its use as a model for similar diagnostic schemes and leaves suppliers without a clear signal on where comparable money will come from.
Questions readers ask
What has UHNM opened at County Hospital, Stafford?
UHNM has formally opened a GBP 15.3 million Breast Care Unit that combines imaging, diagnostics, outpatient clinics, treatment and patient support. It was formally opened on 5 October 2026 after taking its first patients in April.
What facilities does the new UHNM breast unit have?
It has four consultation rooms, one enhanced treatment room, three counselling rooms, two mammography rooms and two ultrasound rooms. The trust said more tests can now be done at County Hospital, reducing the need for some patients to travel to Royal Stoke University Hospital.
How was the UHNM breast care unit funded?
The funding source for the GBP 15.3 million cost has not been stated. The trust also has not published expected patient numbers or capacity figures.
Sources
Announced plans, figures and dates are as stated in the sources below at the time of publication and can change. Conclusions drawn from them are our reading.
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