European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology
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When the National Breast Referral Guidelines were applied to our local GPs letters immediately prior to their release in January 1996, it was shown that on the basis of the GPs own conclusions that 29% of symptomatic women could have been managed initially by their own GP without missing any carcinomas. We conducted this study at the Rapid Access Breast Clinic at the University Hospital of Wales to determine if the breast referral practices of local GPs have altered due to the breast referral guidelines. ⋯ The Breast Referral Guidelines seem to have been effective in reducing the higher level of inappropriate referrals in younger patients at less risk of carcinoma.