In this section
At this appointment you will be seen and examined by either a Consultant Breast Surgeon or by one of the Junior Doctors working in their team, helped by our team of dedicated breast clinic nurses who will help put you at ease during your visit and explain the clinic process. If needed, you will be offered appropriate imaging of your breasts, which will happen the same day. This is usually a mammogram and/or an ultrasound scan.
The mammogram/scans are reported while you wait and any tissue biopsy test that is needed can be performed at the same time. If you need a biopsy, an initial report may be available the same day, but you will often need to come back to clinic the following week for the results. In some cases we may be able to write to you with your results.
As there is a lot happening at these busy clinics it can often take a few hours to have all your examinations and investigations completed and reported, so please come prepared to be at the clinic for most of the morning. There is a café on site providing hot drinks, snacks and sandwiches. If all your investigations are normal or show a benign (harmless) cause not needing a biopsy, you can often be discharged from the clinic on the same day.
Education and research
The Nightingale Centre runs and supports a number of local and national clinical trials and you may be invited to get involved with such a trial as part of your patient journey. We are a teaching hospital that trains medical students; you may be asked whether you mind a student doctor being present during your examination or investigations. It is entirely up to you whether you agree to this or not. We are also involved in training and development, and are one of only four training centres for mammographers in the UK, as well as providing training for radiologists specialising in breast screening.