BREAST cancer patients in Wiltshire are being restricted in accessing reconstructive surgery, which is meant to be offered to all patients on the NHS following a mastectomy.

Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has set a limit on how long patients can apply for the surgery, despite recommendations from health professionals that the surgery should be available whenever requested.

An investigation by Breast Cancer Now found that Wiltshire is in the 23 per cent of CCGs that have introduced formal guidelines to ration the availability of surgery.

The charity’s chief executive, Delyth Morgan, said it was “totally unacceptable” that patients can be denied the surgery, “or rushed into potentially life-changing decisions at such a difficult time”.

“Reconstructive surgery has profound benefits, helping give many their confidence and their lives back after breast cancer,” she added.

“These arbitrary restrictions in some areas of the country represent a backward step in treatment and are absolutely not in the best interests of patients.”

About 3,500 women undergo reconstructive breast surgery in the UK each year, with about 1,100 choosing to have delayed reconstruction.

But the restriction put in place by Wiltshire CCG could see women who do not want immediate surgery losing their funding for the procedure at a later date.

The South West is home to five of the 47 CCGs imposing restrictions.

Breast Cancer Now found that some women had been told they were eligible for balancing surgery (to bring their healthy breast to the same size of the one affected by cancer) to be later told the option had been removed as they had not requested it sooner.

The charity, along with medical experts, is now calling for new guidelines for CCGs that will allow all patients access to reconstructive surgeries they need.

Wiltshire CCG was asked for comment on the length of the time restriction and why it is in place, but had not responded by the time the Journal went to press.