Miss Laws is a Consultant Breast and
Oncoplastic Surgeon at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital,
Winchester
She qualified in medicine from the Royal
Free Hospital (University of London) in 1987. Her initial
posts were in Kent, Sussex and London but went on to
basic surgical training in Bristol. |
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Her specialist general surgical training has
been predominantly in Wessex (with an extra year in Bristol).
She developed an interest in Breast disease relatively late
in her career and gained breast surgical experience in Portsmouth,
Southampton, Basingstoke and Winchester.
Academic qualifications include a DM thesis
from the University of Southampton (cell receptor analysis
in cancer) and the FRCS exit exam for which she came top
in her group and was award the Association of Surgeons
of Great Britain and Ireland Prize and Medal.
She has a number of research interests
and is seeking funding for various projects. She has
ethical committee approval for a trial to test the effectiveness
of radiotherapy delivered to the breast during surgery
compared to a number of outpatient sessions. This project
is awaiting trust financial approval although the equipment
has already been funded by a generous legacy. We are
also looking into the use of a 3D scanner to audit the
outcome of breast cancer surgery – a
quick, easy and accurate measure of breast size and shape
that will help us improve operative technique.
Archaeology is also a passion of hers and
she hopes to be able to take this further after a preliminary
project looking at patterns of cancer secondaries in bones
has reported. Breast cancer seems to be present in both
the historical and archaeological record despite the premature
deaths of our ancestors.
She was appointed as Consultant oncoplastic
breast and general surgeon to the Royal Hampshire County
Hospital, Winchester in 2002. Her main duties are emergency
general surgery, breast surgery including reconstruction
and some non emergency general surgery.
She works very closely with her NHS colleagues
many of whom also work within the private sector. There
is very much a team approach to the care of breast patients
and breast cancer in general. They are aware of each others
strengths and weaknesses and work well as a team – something
that has been shown to improve patient safety. Many of
the protocols they have devised or adopted apply across the
NHS and independent sector. They are admirably supported
by the breast care specialist nurses.
She is married with two sons, a dog and
two chickens (if the dog has not eaten them!). They have
an allotment and she reads a lot – and is an avid J
K Rowling fan. |
