Check4Cancer’s chief medical officer, Gordon Wishart, has launched the OneStop Breast Clinic, a private clinic for younger patients who will no longer be seen in NHS breast clinics due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The clinic, in Harley Street, London, will allow women aged under 35 and men under 50 access to all appropriate investigations at the first consultation, including clinical breast examination by a consultant breast surgeon, breast ultrasound scan and cyst aspiration, or targeted needle biopsy, if required.

The London OneStop Breast Clinic accepts referrals from self-funding patients, and the initial consultation fee is £270.

Wishart’s research has previously shown that the use of triple assessment (breast examination, breast imaging and biopsy) will make the correct diagnosis in 99.6% of all breast patients.

Due to the outbreak, NHS outpatient capacity has been drastically reduced and some referrals are now being prioritised over others. Many NHS trusts have moved to a position where some patients will no longer be eligible for the urgent two-week wait pathway for breast cancer diagnosis and their appointments may be cancelled.

In response to this, Wishart said: “We appreciate that these measures are mandatory given the current NHS resources, but recognise that this may cause considerable distress and anxiety for these patients. I still firmly believe that having access to all investigations on the same day is better for the patient, and more likely to provide the most accurate diagnosis.”