Our breast cancer open-access follow-up service (OAFU) supports patients who have completed their primary treatment.
For patients who no longer attend routine follow-up appointments, they can quickly contact our clinic if they have any concerns or new symptoms.
The service receives receives referrals from St Bartholomew's, Whipps Cross and Newham hospitals.
Patients will remain under the service for five years including surveillance mammograms (if required) or until patients are eligible to be under the NHS breast screening programme .
The advance nurse practitioners can examine and, if necessary, request further imaging including ultrasounds, CT scans, bone scans, MRI and DEXA scans.
If required, endocrine therapies can be reviewed by the advanced nurse practitioners and switched accordingly depending on menopausal status, medication intolerance or negative impact on quality on life.
Decisions are based on risk versus benefit and the patients quality of life.
Once you are referred to the service by your final treating clinician, you will be seen within 3-4 months by an advanced nurse practitioner.
The appointment letter includes a code for you to access Macmillan’s electronic holistic needs assessment (eHNA). This should be completed a week before your first appointment.
Your first appointment will include a one-to-one discussion about your health and wellbeing and positive changes you can make to your lifestyle. The checklist, completed as part of the eHNA, will also be discussed in order to develop a care plan that is shared with your GP.
You will be informed of the signs and symptoms to be aware of and how to access the service if you have any concerns or new symptoms.
The team includes two advanced nurse practitioners and a data manager.
They can be contacted on: 02034 656 752.
Please note, this is an answerphone service and all messages are checked at 8am and 1pm each working day.
All calls are returned by the end of the next working day.