NHS colleague urges breast checks after cancer diagnosis

An NHS colleague who discovered a breast lump but kept putting off contacting her GP is urging others not to ignore worrying symptoms after our NHS self-referral service led to her cancer being diagnosed at an early stage.

Claire Green, who works for NHS England South West, found a lump in March this year but, despite knowing she should get it checked, admits that the pressures of everyday life meant she did not immediately make an appointment.

It was only when a colleague happened to mention Somerset’s breast self-referral service during a work meeting that Claire realised there was another way to get her symptoms checked.

“I kept thinking, ‘I must go to the GP’, but you know what it’s like at eight o’clock in the morning, it was always a rush,” says Claire.

“A couple of weeks went by, and I still hadn’t done it, and I kept thinking, ‘You work for the NHS, you really should get this checked out’.

“Then one of my team happened to mention the self-referral service in a meeting. I had the NHS App, so as soon as that meeting finished, I went on and self-referred.”

Claire received a phone call just two hours later and was booked in for an appointment around two weeks afterwards.

“I was really shocked because I just wasn’t expecting such a quick response,” she says.

“I went in completely expecting them to say, ‘this is nothing, off you go home’. I was under 45 at the time and really didn’t think it was going to be anything to worry about.”

Following an examination, Claire had a mammogram and ultrasound before clinicians decided a biopsy was needed.

“At that point I asked, ‘do you think this is cancer?’ and they said they were fairly certain it was,” she says.

“I really wasn’t expecting that. They asked if I had brought a friend with me, but I hadn’t because I was completely expecting them to send me home and say it was nothing.”

The biopsy subsequently confirmed that Claire had cancer, but it had been caught at a very early stage. She was given a date for surgery and later underwent radiotherapy in August.

Claire has since returned to the oncology department and been told she is cancer-free, although she will continue to have yearly check-ups.

“Everything happened really quickly and it was all really well organised,” she says. “At every point I felt that I knew exactly what was happening.

“My experience from start to finish has been absolutely incredible. Working in the NHS, you always think, ‘we know we do a good job’, but actually I can’t fault anyone.

“Everyone was so lovely, kind and caring. When people are delivering really bad news, just a touch on the shoulder sometimes makes you feel a little bit better and that you’re not there on your own.

“Everyone in the breast care team, outpatients, day surgery and radiotherapy has been so kind and caring.”

Claire is one of 2,242 patients to have referred themselves through the service since it began, according to the latest figures provided for the pathway this week.

Of those, 2,013 people, or 90%, have been reassured that they do not have cancer, without first needing to wait for a GP appointment. The latest figures also show a 5.8% conversion to cancer, while 4% of patients are awaiting an appointment or result.

The breast self-referral pathway was launched in Somerset in January 2025 and enables eligible patients with worrying breast symptoms to be referred directly to our breast diagnostic clinic through NHS 111 Online and the NHS App, without first needing a GP appointment. Our trust was the first in England to introduce the pathway.

The original figures published after its first year showed that 866 people had used the service, with 48 diagnosed with cancer.

Rosie Edgerley, our cancer programme manager, says: “The introduction of the self-referral system is a significant step forward in supporting people with breast symptoms.

“By enabling patients to bypass their GP and be referred directly for specialist assessment, we are helping them to be seen more quickly during what can be an anxious and worrying time.

“This new pathway means patients get the reassurance or treatment they need sooner, while also easing pressure on our GP colleagues.”

Miss Caroline Osborne, one of our consultant breast surgeons, says most people referred can be reassured that their symptoms are not related to breast cancer, while the pathway could result in an earlier diagnosis for those who do have the disease.

“We know that when a breast cancer is diagnosed early, it gives us the best opportunity for successful treatment of the disease,” she says.

Claire now hopes her experience will encourage other people not to delay seeking help if they notice a change.

“Check yourself regularly, make sure you do it, and don’t put it off,” she adds.

“If you find anything and think, ‘I’m sure that’s probably nothing’, don’t ignore it. Make sure you get help, either through the self-referral service or via your GP if you don’t have access to self-referral. My biggest takeaway from this is: Don’t ignore it.”

Hear more from Claire about her experience: