Client-practitioner interactions within breast care services

United Kingdom (UK) breast care services are delivered within one of two models. Clients presenting with breast symptoms (symptomatic) are assessed within a ‘one stop’ (all done at one hospital attendance) out-patient setting whilst asymptomatic clients currently aged 50–70 (screening) are invited for 3 yearly breast screening by the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP). A proportion of the latter are recalled for further assessment should a mammographic abnormality be suspected (assessment clients). Many other health care systems around the world also offer these three breast care approaches (symptomatic, screening and assessment services), though the timeframe between screening invitations and the age range of clients varies within the screening services (see Chap. 8).