"Left without confidence in the breast clinic"

I was referred to the Mermaid Centre at Treliske by my GP due to a lump.

The doctor who examined me didn't ask as many questions as I imagined would be needed for a full understanding. i.e. nothing about other symptoms/nipple changes. It felt very rushed.

They spoke to me as though I was not familiar with my own breasts and said they couldn't even feel the lump which appeared a few months ago. When I pointed out the hardened mass they said 'that's not hard'. I looked at them with concern, feeling I was being overlooked.  Worrying what other people/symptoms may be ignored due to lack of care.

The doctor abruptly said "I'll send you for an ultrasound". When I pointed to the lump again & said my GP said she felt it, they rolled their eyes at me! I wouldn't even expect that treatment if I had self-referred.

The radiologists were lovely. They could feel the lump and said the tissue (in that small area) didn't look diseased thankfully, which was reassuring but due to the checks not being thorough and only in the small areas the doctor had marked with pen, I left the centre feeling unconfident and confused, with no follow up information about what my lump could be or what to expect/look out for.