A one-year audit of 255 operable breast cancers

The publications 'Guidelines for Surgeons in the Management of Symptomatic Breast Disease' and 'QA Guidelines for Surgeons in Breast Cancer Screening' by the BASO Breast Specialty Group set standards for audit which were aimed at good, achievable practice. Data from 251 patients with operable breast cancers, under the age of 70 years and treated in 1994 at Nottingham City Hospital's Professorial Unit of Surgery, were audited according to 12 of the quality objectives and outcomes measures specified. The questions addressed included: waiting time for first appointment; number of attendances in diagnostic clinic; time for results to be given; pre-operative diagnosis; waiting time for surgery; localization biopsy reports; and number of therapeutic operations. Six outcome measures achieved the targets, four were close and required minimal action for correction, while two were not achieved. As a result of this audit corrective action has been taken with regard to the latter two quality objectives.