Morrisons breast screening

This has been happening for years. Maybe even decades. I'm sure my mum had screenings in supermarket satiates at least 15 years ago.

The one I get called to is in Waitrose car park. I don't often go to Waitrose so it's a little bit of excitement to
I don't have any problem with going though.

@56Chandeliers I am in agreement with you regarding we should be ‘grateful’. I am furiously angry regarding some aspects of my breast cancer treatment, and have to hold that alongside…. what? Maybe being thankful.

@AnotherWeasel Grow up and be thankful that the service is available to you!

I think they are an awesome idea. Free parking, easy to find, can do my supermarket shopping afterwards.

Couldn't give a shit about who does my screening or where it is, as long as I get it.

But I'm the kind of person to go for gynae appts and I'm not worried and my last mammogram I didn't bother with the 'modesty blanket'. I mean they were going to look at my tits whatever happened!!

You don't have to whip your bra off at the checkout. The unit is a completely separate structure and you wait inside it, not the shop or car park. In my experience you're in and out quickly.

I’ve not even finished my breast cancer treatment and I know going to the hospital for my next mammogram is going to make me feel ill. I’d be really happy to have one in a different place .

Yes, sorry, that’s what I meant by it being good when it comes to access. But it seems to have become very normal even outside these out of the way contexts. Fine for those who aren’t bothered, but I don’t think the op is unusual in her feelings. There is a sense I get - including on this and other women’s health threads - that women shouldn’t feel anything other than pure gratitude for testing, etc., and questioning or expressing negativity towards any aspect is ridiculed. Makes me uncomfortable.

Not that your comment was along those lines, I hasten to add!

They are normally parked on the far side of the car park for obvious reasons such as you can park there as it’s not near the store entrance. No one is going to see you in the 8 seconds it takes you to walk into the waiting room.

Sorry about how you're feeling, but for me it's so convenient.....local, so avoiding a two hour round trip to the nearest large hospital, plentiful and free parking too.

@AnotherWeasel I do not think you are being unreasonable. My mothers breast cancer was missed using a screening unit.
Also having a mammogram isn't a nice experience, you have the right to feel however you do and don't let anyone say otherwise. If you don't feel comfortable having it somewhere like that you have the right to say.
Don't ever feel your being difficult x

Same here. I had my last recall one last year but I'll be making my own appointment the year after next. I don't care where it is.

But let’s not pretend medical appointments in a van in a supermarket car park are ideal.

It is preferable for me. I live rurally and our nearest hospital is a real pain to get to. I'd prefer to go to a mobile surgery in a nearby supermarket car park for these sorts of routine appointments.

I'm now not on the recall list for mammograms having reached the cut off age, however I can phone and get an appointment if I want to continue, which I do. My mum had breast cancer at 80 so I want to definitely carry on with them.

I don't care where the mobile unit will be sited, supermarket, community centre or middle of the High Street and I don't care who sees me going in either, it's way too important to be bothered about that.

I think you have a distorted and overblown view of the ‘squishy breasts’ thing. Breast are normal and medical check ups of them are normal. No one is judging or even really cares… and that includes your ex and your next door neighbour etc.

Even if they bump into you, and even if they clock it’s a breast check, the projection of weird salacious perceptions about that is in your head, not theirs. They will probably go ‘oh look there’s Janet…’ and then go back to thinking about their Morrisons shopping list.

I’ve had two mammograms in the car park at Morrisons. Didn’t bother me at all, I thought it was wonderfully convenient. Latest was in the grounds of what used to be the local psychiatric hospital. Again, not a problem.

why do you keep going to this supermarket??? get Amazon prime Morrisons delivery.

Well, given that we all have the choice to opt out of breast screening completely, I guess you can also request an alternative location. We are all different - we have choices and we don't have to just blindly go along with the first option we're given. Just use your voice, OP.

Yanbu. I remember reading Germaine Greer on this 20 or 30 years ago. Shame nothing has changed, if not surprising.

It’s better than nothing. It’s better than many things in life. It’s obviously good to increase access. But let’s not pretend medical appointments in a van in a supermarket car park are ideal.

Im sorry you feel upset about the situation. However if you feel you need support please do contact your local NHS Trust or Integrated Care Board to discuss and feedback, as they are the ones most likely commissioning this mobile service in your local area.

You posted this on AIBU, so people are naturally going to tell you if they think you’re being unreasonable or not in their personal opinion. It’s not criticism.

There are other ways to go about starting a discussion and getting support for something that has upset you. This is not the way.

Describing a (very underfunded) service commissioned to save lives and take the strain off the NHS as “undignified” and “disrespectful” is unreasonable.

You we’re not forced to attend that screening. You have absolutely every right to decline and re-book in a hospital setting.

I think you are looking at breast screening the wrong way. It's as if you are seeing it as being akin to a sexually transmitted diseases clinic - which would be embarrassing. Routine breast screening is offered to all women over the age of 50 and presumably people know you are a woman of that age, so why would you feel it is something you want to hide that you are doing?

As others have said, it's convenient and early screening saves lives.

I attended one recently on the car park of my local Asda, ultimately resulting in them finding very early cancerous changes which will now be treated. I'm glad I attended my appointment.

For those people who are saying their appointment was at an inconvenient date / time, it's quite possible (easy where I live) to phone them and change it.

Or maybe just feel grateful that advanced screening methods are saving thousands of lives each year?

Hear hear!

Why would you feel so embarrassed by getting your breasts examined?

I can understand about feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable in front of the medical professionals but not the other people.

You are taking care of your health.
These tests aren’t mandatory but you are choosing to strip off and get them examined.

I would say that’s a pretty powerful thing to do and these other people would think so too.

Your perspective is an odd one and suggests you are wildly overthinking things but without any semblance of logic. Just change the location of your screening, as you are entirely free to do.