The Breast Clinician Credential programme has been instrumental in developing a new generation of skilled breast clinicians who are significantly enhancing service delivery across breast imaging units. This innovative programme, developed in collaboration with NHS England and the Royal College of Radiologists, provides structured training and assessment for doctors pursuing a career in breast disease diagnosis and management. Breast clinicians contribute across the symptomatic and screening pathways, supporting multidisciplinary teams, expanding service capacity, and improving patient care.
This Breast Clinician Spotlight series celebrates the impact of these professionals -showcasing how they are using their training to improve services, introduce new models of care, and support patients across the UK.
Dr Fatima Ali, a breast clinician at London North West Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH), demonstrates the value and versatility of the breast clinician role. During her training, Fatima led the development and implementation of a Combined Imaging and Clinical Assessment Clinic for women under the age of 40, a group not routinely requiring mammography.
This new ‘one-stop’ clinic model allows patients to be assessed by a single clinician rather than multiple staff members, streamlining the patient journey and reducing workforce demands. Over just six months, this service provided 23 additional clinics and saw 109 patients, significantly boosting capacity with minimal additional staffing requirements. Although similar models exist elsewhere, this was the first clinic of its kind introduced at Northwick Park.
Fatima’s contribution to service innovation extends further. She played a key role in launching and leading several other local services:
- Family History of Breast Cancer Clinic: Introduced in 2021, this clinic provides NICE-compliant care and reduces referrals to Clinical Genetics through improved risk assessment using tools like CanRisk.
- Mainstreamed Genetic Testing Pathway: Fatima helped streamline genetic testing for breast cancer patients, reducing both referral and result turnaround times. Since its introduction in 2021, 87 patients have benefited from faster, clinically-relevant results.
- BRCA-Direct Site Lead: In 2024, Fatima became the LNWH lead for a London-wide study offering genetic testing via saliva sampling, counselling over 420 patients and facilitating testing for more than 280.
- Chemoprevention Pathway: Fatima has also initiated a new pathway for patients at increased risk of breast cancer, with the first cohort now counselled and supported.
These achievements demonstrate how breast clinicians like Fatima are helping shape the future of breast services – driving innovation, improving patient access, and ensuring the efficient use of NHS resources.