Breast Supported Self-Management

Version 2 | Updated 08th June 2026

Breast Supported Self-Management

Patient Information

Breast Care Department

Author ID: EA
Leaflet ref: SBC 014
Version: 2
Leaflet title: Breast Supported Self-Management
Last review: November 2022
Expiry Date: November 2024

Personal Details

Name: ................................................................................................................................................

Hospital Number: .........................................................................................................................

Date of diagnosis: ........................................................................................................................

Surgical Consultant: .....................................................................................................................

Oncology Consultants: ..............................................................................................................

Breast Care Nurse / Key Worker: .........................................................................................

After Care Coordinator Contact telephone number: 01942 774720

Introducing Supported Self-Management

After you have completed your treatment, most people can be safely supported without coming back to hospital for routine medical appointments.

Supported self-management puts you in control of your care and allows you to take an active and leading role in your recovery, with the help of your specialist team. The main aim of supported self-management is to enable you to develop the knowledge and confidence to:

Make positive choices about your healthcare.
Manage the physical and emotional impact of breast cancer and its treatment.
Make long term positive changes to health behaviours (staying active, regular exercise, eating healthily and reducing alcohol consumption)

Supported self-management has been shown to improve physical health and wellbeing.

We want you to understand and feel reassured about the care and support you will be given. This includes open access to the Breast Care Nursing service who will act on your concerns accordingly.

Mammogram surveillance

Following completion of your breast cancer treatment, as part of your surveillance, you will have a mammogram every year for 5 years, or until you reach the age to enter the national breast screening programme. Your specialist team will request your annual mammogram, so they remain in line with your original diagnostic mammograms. The results of the mammogram will be available within two weeks; you will receive a letter confirming the results.

Occasionally a patient will be recalled for a repeat mammogram or investigation. This can often happen due to changes related to your surgery and radiotherapy. Your specialist team will contact you to discuss this further if necessary.

Your Holistic needs assessment and Treatment summary

Now that your hospital treatment has ended, your Breast Care Nurse will complete a Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) and Treatment Summary, a copy of which will be given to yourself and your GP.

The Holistic Needs Assessment is:

A simple set of questions or check list to identify your concerns.
A discussion with your Breast Care Nurse and After Care Coordinator.
Contact details for any additional services that may be able to support you.

Your Forward Plan Appointment

Depending on your treatment, at either 6 or 12 months after diagnosis, you will be offered a “Moving Forward” appointment with a Breast Care Nurse. This will help you prepare for taking greater control over your care without needing to attend hospital appointments.

You will be given:

A summary of your treatment.
A plan for any future tests you may need.
Information about how to continue to be breast/ body aware and symptoms you should report.
Advice on how to increase your knowledge to keep yourself well.

Questions or Worries - We are here for You?

During your 5 year surveillance, you can telephone your Breast Care Nurse if you have any question or worries. If there are any concerns, you can re-access the Breast Service quickly and easily, so that you can get appropriate support should you need it, without having to go via your GP.

How do I contact the Breast Care Nurse?

You can leave a message for the team on 01942 774720. The answer machine is checked every working day. One of the team will aim to get back to you within one working day. Alternatively you can contact the team on our email address: www-tr.breastcarenurses@nhs.net

Finding support

You may have already found out that people have different ways of living beyond cancer. There is no right or wrong way, just what works for you. Some people prefer not to talk about it, while others find it helpful to discuss their experience. Your Breast Cancer Specialist team is there to help you with support.