Your Visit to Primrose
Did you know that approx. 300 people are seen in the Primrose breast care centre at University Hospitals Plymouth every week and whilst the appointments often vary the worry & anxiety of those attending their appointment are often very similar.
Here we would like to walk you through the appointment process and what is likely to happen at your appointment. We would remind you that in the Primrose centre they offer a variety of different appointments therefore it is likely that when attending there may be different clinics taking place. Examples of this are:
A one-stop appointment (GP referral).
Family history clinic.
Surveillance screening appointment.
Routine & recall mammogram appointments
Ultrasound appointments
Nurse-led drop-in clinics
Results clinics
Follow-up appointments from surgery
More details about the various appointments, travelling to the hospital, parking, Park and Ride, and directions can be found here: https://www.primrosefoundation.org/your-visit-to-the-primrose-centre
There is only one waiting area which is light, spacious, and airy, you will be initially greeted by a member of the reception team who will go through your contact details and check that they have the right information for you. Once checked in you will be asked to take a seat – it is from here that you will be called for your appointment and escorted to the appropriate room where a medical professional will meet you and discuss your appointment needs.
PLEASE NOTE; Sometimes the air conditioning may make the waiting area very cool, therefore it may be helpful to bring a light jacket or cardigan to prevent feeling chilly.
All members of the team understand that you may be feeling nervous therefore please take your time to understand your appointment and what is going to happen, it’s ok to ask questions.
If this is your first appointment after finding a lump, bump, lesion, or something that just doesn’t look or feel right then your GP has referred you to a one-stop clinical appointment. These appointments are designed to make a difficult time slightly easier by offering a variety of different tests to determine what the problem is therefore you are likely to see a few different people – this is so that the team can assess and determine what is going on.
These appointments therefore can be slightly longer, so we recommend taking some light reading and refreshments with you to help pass the time or bring a companion to chat with (depending on current guidelines).
If you are returning for your results, you would have already gone through the above but this time around you will just see one Consultant and a breast care nurse who will explain your results and where to go from here.
It’s good to mention here that just because you have been referred to the Primrose Centre it doesn’t mean to say it’s breast cancer. Our Breasts and breast tissues can cause all sorts of problems, a few examples of these are;
Breast pain (breast pain is common and rarely a sign of cancer, but you might be referred by your GP if the breast pain is new and not going away)
Nipple discharge – especially associated with recurrent infection
Troublesome cysts
Breast abscesses or infection
Breast implant problems
Gynaecomastia (a common condition that causes male breasts to swell and become larger than normal)
Diagnosis of a lump, most of which are not cancer
More information about different breast-related issues can be found here:
At times a woman may be recalled back to Primrose after having a routine screening mammogram, there are many different reasons for a recall, the image could be blurry or unclear for instance, therefore, additional images need to be taken. We understand that you may be feeling tense and uneasy so please do let a member of the team know if you just need a moment at any point during your appointment.
If you are attending the clinic for a surveillance or family history screening appointment, whether it’s your first appointment or your 10th, the worry is likely to remain the same. We understand that it’s not only the appointment that can be stressful but also awaiting the results too.
We are often told by patients that awaiting results is particularly difficult, whether it’s results from a one-stop clinic, a routine mammogram or a surveillance or family history screening, it’s a very challenging time that the team fully understand however please bear with them.
Often results vary depending on the particular test, some results need to be discussed and corroborated with a team of professionals – if you have waited 3 weeks or more for your results perhaps it is at this point that you should contact a member of the team. A telephone number for the correct department to call should appear on your appointment letter therefore please retain your letter until your results have been given.
Alternatively, please click on the link below for some useful telephone numbers;
https://www.primrosefoundation.org/your-visit-to-the-primrose-centre