Figure 2

Flow diagram illustrating the perioperative flow of patient care. Diagram to illustrate mandatory perioperative safety checks and the flow of the breast cancer patient (depicted as a red circle) through the peri-operative process. Three separate phases of care are illustrated (i.e. pre-operative, operative and post-operative). Safety checks important to each phase of care are highlighted (square box). In the pre-operative phase, the patient requiring image guidance typically has to be taken to radiology in another location within the hospital and then returned to theatre. The patient should only be able to transition phases of care (red –hashed line) when all safety checks have been conducted.