Thirlestaine Breast Centre

The services we offer include:

• breast screening for patients over the age of 50, or at risk of breast cancer
• tests and diagnosis for patients who have been referred by their GP for breast lumps, bumps, changes, or discharge
• breast surgery and consultation for patients with breast cancer

Most of the time, patients referred to the Breast Centre are discharged on the day of their appointment, with no further treatment needed. But if we need to see you for follow up appointments, our team of specialists are here to guide you through the process.

Getting here

Car

You can drive to the Breast Centre by following sat nav directions to GL53 7AS.

There is limited coin operated parking at the Centre, or you can park in one of the main hospital car parks and walk up College Lawn to Thirlestaine Road.

Parking charges for Cheltenham General Hospital

Public transport

The Thirlestaine Breast Centre can be reached by bus or train. You can plan your visit by checking the quickest route on the Gloucestershire Public Transport Information website.

You can also use the 99 shuttle bus service between all of our Gloucestershire Hospital sites. A full timetable is available on the Pullham’s Coaches website.

Walk

The Thirlestaine Breast Centre is a five minute walk from the main hospital site, not far from Cheltenham College. If you’re arriving from the main hospital:

• come out of the Sandford Road entrance and walk to College Lawn
• walk up College Lawn and turn left onto Thirlestaine Road
• the Breast Centre will be on your left, on the opposite side of the road to the Cobalt Centre

What to expect

Waiting for your referral

Once your GP or consultant has referred you for an appointment at the Breast Centre, you will receive a letter from us to arrange your appointment any time within 2 weeks.

Arriving at the Breast Centre

When you arrive at the Breast Centre, you will need to check in at reception so we know you have arrived.

When we are ready, you will be called through to an examination room where you will see a member of the team.

Your appointment

All patients who visit the Breast Centre will have a medical assessment, including an examination of both breasts, the area around your nipple, and both armpits. We may also need to arrange imaging tests, which may include:

• an ultrasound scan
• a mammogram

We may need to take a small sample of breast or skin tissue for specialist assessment. This is called a biopsy. We can do this during your appointment at the Centre, and we will numb your skin using a local anaesthetic. It usually takes one to two weeks for the results of your biopsy to come back.

It’s normal for us to arrange extra tests on the day of your appointment, so you may need to wait a bit longer for these to happen. It’s best to set aside the whole morning or afternoon for your appointment.

One of the team will book a follow up appointment for you to get your results of any tests before you leave the Centre.