Advice after your nerve block for surgery
On this page…
Introduction
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your care will be co-ordinated by the Breast Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). The team consists of specialists who all work together to ensure the best possible care and treatment for you. The Breast MDT meeting takes place weekly, on a Friday morning.
The following are core members of the Breast MDT, though other professionals may also be involved in your care. You can read more about the roles of these people on the hospital’s website.
Your main point of contact with the MDT will be through the Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) team, who act as your Key Workers and are core members of the MDT. You will normally meet a CNS at the time of your diagnosis, and they will play a key role in supporting your care.
Role of the Breast Care Nurse Specialists
The role of the CNS is to:
- ensure you and the people close to you have access to information and advice about your diagnosis and treatment.
- help you to make sense of a large amount of unfamiliar information, and support your decision-making about your care, treatment and follow up arrangements.
- offer you and those close to you practical and emotional support.
- offer you access to clinical advice, and discuss any concerns you may have about treatments, investigations, surgery, recovery and life after treatment.
- advocate on your behalf at the MDT meeting, where your investigations are discussed and recommendations on treatments are made.
- put you in touch with different services, both within the hospital and the community, to support your care needs.
- Provide guidance and help in gaining access to benefits, finances, grants, free prescriptions and offering support holistically.
Contact Details
Breast Care Nurse Specialists
-
RN Vanisha Rabindranath (Primary Breast Lead Full time)
- RN Lucy Scott (Metastatic Breast Lead Full time )
- RN Maggie Shabbir (Full time)
- RN Sweta Gurung (Mon - Weds)
- RN Hannah Lloyd (Weds - Fri)
- RN Elaine Brookes (Full time)
- Breast Advanced Nurse Practitioner - Ruth O’Connor
Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons
Mrs Isabella Karat (Lead)
Mr Hisham Osman
Mr Goran Ahmed
Clinical Oncologists
Dr Nita Patel, Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Dr Panagiotis Koliou, Consultant Medical Oncologist
Radiologists
Dr Pippa Skippage, Consultant Breast Radiologist (Lead)
Dr Kirsten Stafford, Consultant Breast Radiologist
Dr Emily Daulton, Consultant Breast Radiologist
Dr Tharsi Sarvananthan, Consultant Breast Radiologist
Dr Vanessa Newman, Associate Specialist Breast Clinician
(Jarvis Screening Centre)
Mammographers
- Orianna Friday
Telephone: 0300 613 4849
Consultant Histopathologist
- Dr Ritu Chhikara
Contact your CNS via the Macmillan Cancer Navigators:
Telephone: 0300 613 3535
Email: fhft.
Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons Secretaries
- Mandy Rust (Mon/Tues/Wed) and Sandra Scullin (Thurs/Fri)
- Telephone: 0300 613 2358
Consultant Clinical Oncologists Secretaries
- Secretaries: Ally Leabourne
Telephone: 0300 613 0178
Surgical Booking Manager
- Tina Deane
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Cancer care service.
About this information
Service:
Cancer care
Reference:
HH/052
Approval date:
26 June 2025
Review date:
1 June 2027
Click ‘show accessibility tools’ at the bottom of the page
Then click ‘select language’
Alternative formats
You can use the accessibility toolbar at the bottom of your screen to:
-
Change the text size
-
Adjust the font
-
Modify the colour contrast
-
Use the translate function
If you would like this information in another format, such as Braille, audio, or easy read, please speak to a member of staff.
You can also print as well as download as PDF using the “Print this page” button at the end of the page.
Staff will print a copy for you on request
Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.