A NUMBER of cancer charities in the Isle of Man have spoken out following the appointment of a new breast surgeon for the Island.

On Wednesday the Department of Health announced that it had appointed Millie Bello as its consultant general surgeon with a special interest in oncoplastic breast surgery and breast care. 

Ms Bello, who is originally from Nigeria, has been a consultant general surgeon with a specialist interest in breast surgery for 10 years in the UK.

She will head up the Island's breast care service and will be responsible for providing oncoplastic breast surgery, introducing sentinel node biopsies and performing breast reconstruction and symmetrisation surgery.

Ms Bello's appointment follows a year of controversy after the Department of Health revealed plans to replace the Island’s consultant breast surgeon, who was a locum, with a permanent salaried member of staff.

A campaign group called the Breast Cancer Action Group was set up to oppose the Department of Health's plans to advertise for a general surgeon with a speciality in breast care instead of a specialist breast cancer consultant.

The post was approved by the Royal College of Surgeons and the Department of Health attempted to reassure the public by clarifying that the "speciality" was the major part of the job with the general surgery aspect an added extra.

During the recruitment process the department worked with the Isle of Man Council of Cancer Charities and lay representatives from a number of the charities were on the interview panel.

Health Minister David Anderson MHK explained: "Very early on in the process we did get the breast cancer charities onboard because we wanted to have their support and we have been very grateful for that.

"They have understood what we are trying to do. There have been other people who haven't understood or haven't wished to understand. We did try and spend a lot of time explaining that but unfortunately that fell on deaf ears."

Sharon Maddrell, the chair of Isle of Man Breast Care, said: "It's been a turbulent 12 months for all of those affected by, and campaigning to raise awareness of, breast cancer with vocal opposition by some for plans to appoint this post.

"I feel that this has at times caused unnecessary alarm and concern amongst the public but hopefully now all parties can work together to continue developing an exemplary breast care service for the people of the Isle of Man.

"This is fantastic news for the people of the Isle of Man and exactly what we wanted and were promised by the Department of Health."

Jan Brooks, the president of Breakthrough Breast Cancer Isle of Man, said: "I think patients can be reassured totally. It's been very worrying for a lot of patients and the general public with all the controversy around this post.

"I think we are extremely fortunate to have such a highly qualified surgeon coming to the Island who will take the service forward. Really we've probably got better than a lot of centres in the UK so I think everybody should be really pleased."

Andrea Chambers, the chief executive of Manx Cancer Help, called Ms Bello's appointment a "coup" for the Island.

She said: "Having to travel off Island for a long period of time really increases people's liability to need psychological input because the emotional problems are really difficult. Having so much work done for patients on Island will clearly reduce the risk of them needing our services.

"It's great that they will be able to stay on-Island and have treatment and it's a huge, huge boost to the community."

Mr Anderson concluded: "In the current climate we are very fortunate to be expanding an area of the hospital and the services we provide. It emphasises how government has put health at the top of its agenda.

"I think this shows that we were taking the subject very seriously and that we did have a strategy in place that would improve the services for the community in the Isle of Man in the long term and that it was necessary to have a permanent person in post.

"As you can appreciate locums cost a significant amount of money and it is unsustainable because you haven't got the consistency of somebody – they could go at the drop of a hat. When you have a permanent post you have that reassurance.

"The department will be quite significantly better off and the service will be better off so it is a win-win situation."

Also see: New breast surgeon is "first step" in developing breast service