About Screening

 

Information Leaflets - Our promises

 

Breast Test Wales is part of the NHS. We provide a high quality breast screening service to women aged 50 and over throughout Wales. Our specially trained staff will treat you with courtesy, care and consideration at all times.

 

Your invitation

• We will send you your first invitation for breast screening before your 53rd birthday and then every 3 years until you are 70.
• If you are over 70 and it is 3 years since you were screened, we will arrange an appointment for you on request.
• We will send you clear information about the benefits and risks of screening.
• We will give you at least 7 days notice of your appointment.
• We will make it easy to change your appointment.
• We will respect your right to choose not to be screened.

 

Your screen

• We will see you within 30 minutes of your appointment time.
• We will screen you to the highest standards.
• We will send your result within 3 weeks.
• We will minimise any recalls for technical reasons (to less than 2% of women screened).
• We will tell you about any delays.

 

If you need further tests

• We will offer you an appointment within 1 week of your receiving our recall letter.
• We will send you clear information telling you why women are recalled.
• We will give you the results of your tests on the day if possible, or ask you to return for results within a week if your tests are more complex.

 

Less than 1% of women screened by Breast Test Wales have breast cancer. However, if breast cancer is diagnosed:

• We will tell you honestly and sensitively.
• We will offer you support from one of our Breast Care Nurses.
• We will include your partner or companion in any discussions if you wish.
• We will give you full and clear information.
• We will explain your treatment options.
• We will involve you fully in decision making.
• We will arrange for you to be admitted for treatment.
• We will respect your right to refuse treatment, obtain a second opinion or choose alternative treatment if you wish.
• We will give you information about support services.

 

Confidentiality

We need to hold some information about you, so that we can invite women for screening and check on the performance of the screening programme.

• We will keep your personal details confidential.
• We will only share information with people who have a statutory or medical need for it, for example, your GP.

Ask for our leaflet 'How we use information about you' for more details.

 

Please help us by:

• Carefully reading the information we send you. Ask us if you would like it in large print, on audio tape, in pictures or in other languages.
• Keeping to your appointment time.
• Giving us at least 3 days notice if you wish to change your appointment.

If you have any comments about our screening programme, please let us know.

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