How to refer to Breastory

Any of the following routes works equally well. Use whichever fits your practice workflow.

1. Patient self-books, no formal referral

Many patients with private medical insurance, or self-paying patients, can simply contact the practice PA and book an appointment directly. They do not need a formal letter from you. If you have advised a patient to seek private specialist assessment, this is often the simplest route. They call +44 7785 274 744 or email [email protected], and they are usually given an appointment within the same week.

What helps when you are advising a patient to do this:

• Mention “Dr Fiona Tsang-Wright” or “Breastory” by name.
• Tell them which clinic location is most convenient — Chelsea, Harley Street, or Buckinghamshire / Great Missenden.
• Suggest they bring any imaging on disc and a brief note from you if you have one ready, but neither is essential. The practice can take a full history at the first visit.

2. Email referral from you

For more involved cases, email is the most useful route. Use it when you want to flag a specific concern, when the patient has complex history, or when you would like Dr Tsang-Wright to phone you back to discuss.

• To: [email protected]
• Subject: Referral — [patient name] — [brief presentation]
• Body: the same content you would put in a referral letter (see letter templates).

The PA will arrange an appointment, confirm with the patient, and reply to you with the appointment details. If you have asked for a phone call back, Sarah will arrange that with Dr Tsang-Wright directly.

3. Posted or faxed letter

Traditional letter referral is welcomed. Send to:

Breastory
The Practice PA
[practice correspondence address — to confirm]

Or by fax: [practice fax — to confirm]

This is slower than email but is sometimes the path of least resistance from NHS practice systems.

Whichever route you use, the following information is helpful (but only the asterisked items are essential):

• Patient name, date of birth, contact number, and address. *
• The presenting complaint the symptom or finding that triggered the referral, including duration. *
• Brief relevant past medical history particularly previous breast surgery, breast imaging, or known breast/ovarian cancer in the patient or close relatives.
• Current medications, particularly hormone replacement therapy, hormonal contraception, anticoagulants, and any drugs relevant to breast risk (such as previous tamoxifen, anastrozole).
• Any imaging already done date, where, and whether the patient has the report or images on disc.
• Insurance status insurer name and policy number if available, or “self-pay”. This helps the PA arrange pre-authorisation efficiently if relevant.
• Anything specific you want addressed for example “second opinion on a treatment plan from another centre”, “family-history risk assessment”, or “concerned about a particular feature on imaging”.

If the referral is urgent in your clinical judgement, mark this clearly in the subject line or first line of the letter. The PA will treat urgent referrals as same-day or next-day appointments where availability allows. Most are accommodated within 24–48 hours.

1. Acknowledgement Sarah will reply to your referral within one working day, confirming receipt and the appointment slot offered to the patient.
2. Patient booking the PA contacts the patient directly to confirm the appointment, arrange pre-authorisation with the insurer (or take payment if self-pay), and email any pre-appointment information.
3. Consultation typically within the same week. Most new patients are seen at a one-stop clinic — examination, imaging, and biopsy if clinically indicated, all in a single visit.
4. Letter back to you within 48 hours of each visit, with the consultation findings, imaging results, biopsy plan (if applicable), and the agreed next steps. Letters are sent by email where the practice has confirmed your secure email address, otherwise by post.
5. Onward updates if the patient progresses to surgery or further investigation, you will be copied in on each subsequent letter. If the patient is discharged from the practice, the discharge letter will state this clearly.

Most patients are seen as either insured (Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, WPA, Cigna, Allianz, and others) or self-paying. The practice does not currently take NHS referrals. Patients needing NHS care are managed through Dr Tsang-Wright’s substantive NHS role at the Bucks Breast Unit, accessed via the standard NHS referral pathway through your local CCG / ICB system.

If a patient referred privately turns out, on assessment, to require treatment that is best delivered in the NHS pathway, transfer is arranged directly through Dr Tsang-Wright, rather than requiring a fresh GP referral.

If you have a presentation that you are weighing up — for example a vague breast change in a patient with limited insurance, or an asymmetry that may or may not warrant specialist assessment — Sarah is happy to put you in touch with Dr Tsang-Wright by email or phone. That discussion can happen before any referral is made.

This is intended for genuine clinical-judgement calls rather than routine triage; please don’t hesitate when it applies.

For urgent in-hours referrals (same-day or next-day), email or phone the PA. If the practice cannot offer an immediate slot, you will be offered the next available slot the same week, or — if the clinical picture warrants it — Dr Tsang-Wright will phone you to discuss.

For out-of-hours clinical concerns (for example, a patient with rapidly progressive inflammatory features, a possible abscess in a breastfeeding mother, or a post-operative complication), the routes are:

• In-hours next day phone or email Sarah first thing in the morning. Most cases can be accommodated.
• Truly urgent out-of-hours care your usual NHS out-of-hours services or local emergency department. The practice does not provide an out-of-hours service; sending a patient to A&E is the right call when same-day private review is not available.