The Breast Service is a fully integrated diagnostic specialist service which provides all the examinations and tests necessary to diagnose both benign and malignant breast disease affecting women and men.

Our Breast Service consists of a highly qualified multidisciplinary team including consultant breast surgeons and experienced nurses who have specialist knowledge and skills in caring and supporting both women and men with breast problems. 

We work closely with Barts Health who provide cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy if required.

Services available for suspected cancer

All new breast referrals (suspected cancer and symptomatic referrals) are seen within two weeks of referral in accordance with national guidelines, the patient should find out if they have or do not have cancer within 28 days from referral. 

We achieve this by running a one stop Breast clinic which takes place on Monday morning, Tuesday all day, Thursday and Friday mornings in the main outpatient department.

The one stop assessment of care provides the following as per clinical requirement:

·         mammography

  • ultrasound
  • fine needle aspiration (FNA)
  • core biopsy

Patients attending breast clinic appointment have same day reporting for the results of imaging however pathology (biopsy) results can often take up to two weeks.  

Some patients may need Breast MRI which will be arranged after a discussion with them.

We offer full surgical options including image-guided surgery using a range of different localisers as per clinical need, oncoplasty and breast reconstruction. All patients undergoing mastectomy have the opportunity to discuss their breast reconstruction including immediate breast reconstruction.

There are in addition weekly breast nurse led specialist outpatient clinics at Homerton Hospital in the following areas:

  • Hormone injections
  • Follow up telephone clinic for newly diagnosed patients.
  • Seroma aspiration clinic (collection of body fluid following a breast surgery)
  • Breast implant inflation clinic post-surgery
  • Breast prosthesis fitting appointment based monthly service run by Truelife

Intravenous chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments are given at Barts health (St Bartholomew’s Hospital NHS Trust).

Other breast conditions treated at the Homerton Hospital

  • non-cancer breast lumps
  • breast pain
  • nipple discharge
  • male breast lumps and gynaecomastia
  • large breast requiring reduction (augmentation)
  • risk-reducing mastectomy in carriers of high-risk pathogenic mutations, for example, BRCA mutations
  • other breast symptoms that are of concern including breast abnormalities

Waiting times for surgery

The average operation waiting time is between three to four weeks.

Open Access Clinic

The open access follow-up programme has been specially designed to support you after the completion of your hospital-based primary breast cancer treatment.

It is a nurse-led model called Open Access Follow Up (OAFU).

As a national standard-of-care, it replaces the ‘traditional’ model of consultant-led follow up which included patients attending follow-up appointments, even when they had no symptoms or feeling well. 

With the OAFU model you will still have the routine tests, but you will get the results either by post or phone. This model is based on evidence that shows there is no real advantage to attending fixed time follow up appointments. OAFU reduces unnecessary anxiety and trips to hospital. 

At your consultation with OAFU nurse we will create an ongoing care plan and educate you how to manage your health and identify any concerning signs and symptoms or side effects of treatment.  

OAFU is a quick access arrangement that allows patients and their GPs to report any worries, concerns, or symptoms of possible progressive disease in a timely manner.  

It has now been established that within OAFU programme, patient experience and confidence has improved by providing tools and access to multi-disciplinary support which is centred around their needs. 

Meet the team

Mangesh Thorat
Consultant oncoplastic and reconstruction breast surgeon specialising in malignant breast disease and breast surgery, breast and nipple reconstruction, revision, delayed reconstruction, risk-reducing surgery and preventive therapy. 

Ioannis Spyrou
Consultant oncoplastic and reconstruction breast surgeon specialising in malignant breast disease and breast surgery, breast and nipple reconstruction, revision and delayed reconstruction. 

Illias Vagios
Senior Clinical Fellow - Breast and Endocrine surgery

Priya Devadas
Senior Clinical Fellow - Breast surgery

Dr Peter Hall, Dr. Vasileios Angelis and Dr Melissa Phillips
Consultant medical oncologist
Based at St. Bart’s Hospital

Kathryn Hawkesford
Consultant medical oncologist
Joint oncology clinic with St. Bart’s Hospital. Outpatient clinic at Homerton on Friday morning.

Premila (Prem) Natarajan
Breast Advanced Nurse Practitioner who delivers one stop clinic appointments.

Noeleen Farnhill
Open Access Breast Follow up Nurse
This service is organised to provide follow up for patients who have completed their treatments/and/or surgery.
Mobile: 07920 821 854

Susan Flannery
Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist (keyworker)

Olivia Boateng
Associate Breast Nurse (keyworker)

Adebusola Okuneye
Macmillan Cancer Support Worker
They help the Clinical Nurse Specialist (Key worker) in their day to-day activities but can help with administrative queries or to leave a message for the CNS’s.
As they are not medically qualified, they are unable to give medical advice.
Mobile: 07768 482 847
Telephone: 020 8510 8969/8968

Elizabeth Knapp
MDT Coordinator

Contact for breast enquiries not related to cancer
Telephone:  020 8510 7930

How we can support you

Cancer Psychology service [pdf]

Dr Heather Munro
Lead Psychologist in Cancer Care
Cancer Psychology service
Working days: Tuesday - Friday
Tel: 020 8510 5350

Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre

Macmillan support leaflet.pdf

Open between 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Based at the main entrance of the hospital.  We are at the end of the phone for cancer patients, their relatives and carers to answer your questions or to direct your call to the appropriate person. We want to make sure that you get all the assistance you need to live well with - and after - cancer. There’s a wide range of support available to help you cope with cancer, including physical, emotional and practical advice for you, your family, friends and carers.

Madhu Agarwal
Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Manager
020 8510 5191 (Mon, Tues, Thurs & Friday 8am - 4pm)
email: huh-tr.homerton.cancersupport@nhs.net

Financial Support at Homerton
Macmillan Toynbee Hall Welfare Rights Service
Telephone: 020 7392 2958
Welfare support by appointments only available on Tuesday 1pm - 4pm and Wednesday 9.30 am -12.30pm.