What to expect at your appointment
Information on preparing for your appointment and what to expect when you arrive.
- Please be prepared to have the details of when and where your
last mammogram was (if applicable.) You will be asked for this
information before your mammogram can be performed.
- If you have had a mammogram within the last 6 months, with us
or elsewhere, please contact the screening office before attending
your appointment. If you are currently under the care of a
hospital for a breast problem please call the Screening Office to
discuss your screening appointment.
- We cannot accept children under 16 years old onto the mobile
vans.
- One person maximum to accompany you for your appointment please
(men are not permitted on board).
- Please refrain from wearing talc, spray deodorant, creams,
lotions or oils on the breasts or armpits before attending your
appointment.
- You will be asked to remove your clothes from the waist up
before entering the examination room. It is advisable to wear
separates.
- The mobile units can only be accessed by a staircase. If
this could potentially be unsuitable for you, or if you have any
mobility difficulties, please contact the screening office so that
your needs can be assessed and met accordingly.
- Information about breast screening is also available in other
languages. Please contact the Screening Office.
What to expect:
Upon arrival, you will be checked in at the reception desk,
whereby you will be asked a few questions to confirm your contact
details, the name of your registered GP and the details of when and
where your most recent mammogram was (if applicable). Please bring
photo I.D. if possible.
You will be shown to a cubicle and asked to undress from the
waist up. You may place a loose top or cardigan etc back over
yourself to go into the X-ray room with.
We may ask ladies to tie long hair back before the
examination.
Once the Mammographer is ready, she will invite you into the
X-ray room directly from the changing cubicle. We ask that
you take any valuables, including handbags, into the room with
you.
You will be asked to confirm your personal details again for
identification purposes and you can discuss previous
or current concerns regarding your breasts.
Any visible scars, blemishes or moles on your breasts will also
be recorded to help distinguish their location for the film readers
when they come to interpreting your mammograms.
The Mammographer will discuss the procedure with you and will be
more than happy to answer any queries you may have about any part
of the examination.
Once you have been positioned, the Mammographer will apply the
compression and you will be asked to keep as still as possible for
a few moments while the X-ray is taken. Sometimes, you will
be given breathing instructions to also help obtain the best
possible mammogram.
The Mammographer will routinely perform four X-rays altogether,
two pictures on each breast, each from a different angle. If you
are large breasted or have breast implants, additional views may be
required.
The examination itself takes approximately 5 minutes with the
entire visit to the mobile van not taking any longer than 30
minutes.
The Mammographer will check the X-ray images for any obvious
technical errors during your mammogram but please be aware that
some sub optimal aspects, such as blurring, may not be possible to
view on the monitors available on the mobile units.
Mammographers are not qualified to read the mammograms and
so will not be able to give any indications of your results on the
day.
Once the examination is complete you will be advised of how you
will receive your results and then will be able to get dressed
and leave the mobile unit.