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Care Opinion

Breast Screening service

Posted By Shellis

"Breast Screening service"

About: NHS Tayside / East Scotland Breast Screening Centre

(as a service user),

In 2019 I was called for my first post 50 mammogram. I thought this would be a straight forward process and an all clear result. This was not my experience. I have a lobular neoplasia which I have to be screened annually to review. 

At the initial diagnosis I was left feeling confused as the information leaflet is not clear and very non specific. It’s either something I don’t need to worry about or could need a bilateral mastectomy. When I pointed this lack of clarity in the leaflet the nurse told me they hadn’t actually read it so couldn’t comment. I suggested it might be helpful to people reading the leaflet if it was revised. 

So a year on and I was called for my first annual review. I turned up at the allocated time to be greeted by the radiographer telling me that I was there for a cancer check! This was a huge shock for me as I understood that I did not have a cancerous lump. My notes state that I have a LCIS which is a lobular carcinoma in situ. Either I have a cancerous lump or I don’t. To have this continued discrepancy in “diagnosis” is extremely distressing. 

The final straw for me is in relation to the appointment letter. The appointment letter clearly states that I would receive my results in two weeks. It is now 5 weeks later and I’ve still not received my results. I phoned to enquire and was told that the two weeks related to non-COVID times. When I asked why the letter had not been amended to reflect this? The person on the phone said they would mention it to her manager. 

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Responses

Response from Debbie Archibald, Breast Screening Services Manager, Breast Screening & Imaging Department, NHS Tayside 3 years ago
Debbie Archibald
Breast Screening Services Manager, Breast Screening & Imaging Department,
NHS Tayside

Manager

Submitted on 24/11/2020 at 16:26
Published on Care Opinion at 16:46

Thank you for your feedback regarding your mammogram appointment. I am sorry that when you attended in 2019 you found that the leaflet you had been given was not clear enough. I will discuss this with the nursing team to ensure that we review this and ensure that all the staff are aware of their content.

I completely understand why you would have been upset by your appointment being described as a "cancer check". The aim of mammography is to detect cancers and other abnormalities in the breast. The radiographer would not have full details of your clinical history available to her when she performed your mammogram but I am very sorry if her use of the word "cancer" caused you unnecessary distress. I will ensure that the radiographers and nursing staff are aware that this can cause upset and adjust our language for all other patients attending the clinic. Your feedback sharing how distressing this is will help us avoid causing distress to others so thank you for sharing how it affected you.

The waiting time for results is usually around 2 weeks, and at the time when you received your appointment letter this would have been the case. However, due to some staffing issues this has increased recently. I am sorry you have had to wait longer than we would normally have hoped. We are working hard to rectify this as soon as we can

If you would like me to investigate the issues you have raised in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact me directly on 01382 425531 and I will be happy to do so.

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