# Breast Cancer Support | UK Helplines and NHS Help

> Source: https://breastcancer-charity.org/breast-cancer-support/
> Breast cancer support in the UK: NHS nurses, Breast Cancer Now 0808 800 6000, Macmillan, money help and peer groups. We signpost — we are not a helpline.

## What is breast cancer support?

Breast cancer support is the practical, emotional and financial help around a diagnosis — not the surgery or the drugs themselves. In the UK that usually means a named NHS breast care nurse, free charity helplines, benefits advice and peer groups. Breast Cancer Charity signposts this breast cancer support. We do not deliver it.

People search “breast cancer support” when they need a person, not a pamphlet. Someone to explain the next appointment. Someone to sit with them after results. Someone who knows whether they might get help with heating, travel or time off work. That is support. Clinical care — imaging, biopsy, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy — is an NHS pathway, described in our [diagnosis](https://breastcancer-charity.org/about-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-diagnosis/) and [treatment](https://breastcancer-charity.org/about-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-treatment/) guides.

The distinction matters because the UK already has a dense support network, and we are not part of it as a helpline. Breast Cancer Now specialises in breast cancer. Macmillan covers all cancers and is particularly strong on money. Maggie’s is the drop-in room next to many hospitals. Your breast care nurse is the NHS thread that holds a treatment plan together. This page exists so you can reach those services without wading through a donate form first.

## What breast cancer support is available in the UK?

UK breast cancer support comes from three places: the NHS (breast care nurse, multidisciplinary team, psychology), national charities (Breast Cancer Now, Macmillan, Maggie’s), and specialist groups for younger people, men, pregnancy and secondary breast cancer. Start with your nurse if you have one. Call a free helpline if you do not.

After diagnosis, NHS guidance is that you should have a named clinical nurse specialist — often called a breast care nurse. They are employed by the hospital, not by us. They can explain test results in plain language, flag side effects, and refer you to psychology, physiotherapy, lymphoedema services or a Macmillan benefits adviser. If nobody has given you that name, ask. It is reasonable to ask.

Charities fill the hours the clinic cannot. Breast Cancer Now’s helpline is for breast cancer specifically — including people who are worried about a symptom and have not yet seen a GP. Macmillan’s Support Line covers any cancer and can move you to money advice without a second phone number. Maggie’s centres are physical rooms: you walk in. Specialist groups exist because a 32-year-old with fertility questions, a man with a chest lump, or someone living with secondary breast cancer will not always find themselves in a general Tuesday-evening group.

None of those organisations is Breast Cancer Charity. Naming them is the job of this page. We fund screening and treatment access abroad, where that network does not exist. If you are in the UK and you need help today, use the directory below — not our office number.

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Breast Cancer Charity — an initiative of World Aid Network. Donate: https://breastcancer-charity.org/donate/