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A Personal Account from our Practice Manager

Last week, I went for my routine mammogram. I live in Northamptonshire so I go to the mobile unit at Danetre Hospital.

It occurred to me when I was there (for a total of 9 minutes!), what a wonderful free service this is and wanted everyone that is eligible but nervous of attending, to be reassured about the process.

When I checked in, it became clear that there was a non-attender before my appointment which is very costly for the NHS and also a great pity for that individual who may have missed an early alert to something going wrong, way before anything is visible externally.

It is all a bit surreal I guess, standing naked from the waist up in front of a perfect stranger, but I knew that I was probably the 20th person she had seen that day and she really wasn’t interested in the fact that I could do with losing a few pounds. We went through the rather bizarre Tai Chi moves together that are required to get everything in position and yes she does have to grab your bosom in order to get everything set up for the machine, but everything is very matter of fact, a bit like going to the optician and placing your face into their strange and tortuous chin and forehead restraint.

The machine did its squashy thing top to bottom and then left to right and yes this is not terribly comfortable but it is momentary, just a few seconds every three years – and then the technician checks the screen and you go back into your private cubicle and pop your clothes on and exit the caravan, passing only to have a laugh with the next customer arriving on the steps.  And that is it. Results will be within 3 weeks.

Please take advantage of this service if you are eligible, there is nothing to be fearful of. If you're aged 50 to 70 and registered with a GP, you'll be offered breast screening by the NHS every three years. In some parts of England, people aged 47 to 73 may also be offered screening, as part of a trial into extending the age range.

As an afterthought I thought I would check out how much it would cost me to have this test if I lived in the USA. I have learned that while screening mammograms are usually free for individuals with insurance (although of course you have to pay for your insurance), if you don’t have insurance then it will cost around $150.

In the UK a private mammogram will be around £200.  We should definitely take advantage of this free service.

Nicci Bennett - Practice Manager