Incidence of breast cancer continue to rise, and it remains the most common cancer in the UK, with GP referrals to breast units doubling in the last ten years. Distressingly, the need for breast imaging is increasing at the same time as there are severe shortages amongst breast imaging staff. This has already led to several breast centres closing nationally, placing even greater pressures on the remaining units.

The Academy will be an extension of The Nightingale Centre, the home of Prevent Breast Cancer, and will provide a solution to these workforce shortages by delivering the space and facilities to train a sustainable workforce to support breast services across the country.

This cutting-edge building will also allow the additional capacity for research into breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and will enable an extra 13,000 patients to be seen each year for breast screening.