Change description : 2025-04-29 08:30:00: Updates to the referral form and guidance on the tests and frequency for women at very high risk to reflect changes to eligibility criteria for referral into the breast very high risk screening programme. [Guidance and regulation]
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Healthcare professionals working in the NHS breast screening programme should use these protocols.
They apply to women referred to the screening programme with a very high risk of developing breast cancer.
Complete the referral form when referring a woman to breast screening because she has been clinically identified as being at higher risk of developing breast cancer. It can be completed electronically or printed out and completed manually.
Updates to the referral form and guidance on the tests and frequency for women at very high risk to reflect changes to eligibility criteria for referral into the breast very high risk screening programme.
27 September 2024
Added clarification that publication was previously published by Public Health England.
16 August 2023
The Breast screening referral form for women at very high risk has been updated.
4 May 2023
Minor amend in the 'Referrals by clinical genetics services or oncology centres' section of the HTML doc.
3 January 2023
Updated 'Protocols for the surveillance of women at higher risk of developing breast cancer' and the referral form to clarify: which cohort of women is entitled to very high risk screening following radiotherapy to sites involving breast tissue (formerly referred to as ‘supra-diaphragmatic radiotherapy’); the breast density review process; the interval to next screening appointment following a short term recall episode; screening during pregnancy and lactation; and screening transgender and non-binary people.
31 August 2022
New version of the breast screening referral form for women at very high risk. Expanded information requirements in section B.
3 December 2021
Updated 'Breast screening referral form for women at very high risk' following an update in the breast screening IT system.
26 July 2021
Change to the referral form for women at very high risk. Added a section about a woman’s previous history of breast surgery.
25 February 2021
Update to section 3, to include treating clinician referral to very high risk screening for patients carrying a genetic mutation meeting the eligibility criteria.
5 November 2020
Edited sections 6.1 – process before MRI screening and 6.2 – review of background diversity in the protocols document.
30 October 2020
Added note to the referral form that BARD are excluded from needing to sign the declaration.
13 October 2020
Minor changes to all 3 documents including clarification that women already in the VHR programme can continue to be screened until their 71st birthday.
23 September 2020
Amended very high risk referral form.
8 September 2020
Reviewed, updated and reformatted guidance as HTML format.