Statement from the Society of Radiographers re Mammograms

Has anyone here heard whether someone has done a FOI on the DfHSC to find out how many male mammographers are working in the NHS already?

Here is the contact page for the SoR so you can contact them about your views: https://www.sor.org/about/society-of-radiographers/contact-us

Latest screening data
Here's the latest published data, you have to scroll down to section 4. It clearly shows that uptake is below target but screening round length (women being seen within the 3 year parameters of the programme) is above target. And in some areas is almost 100%.
So again, what problem are the SoR trying to fix?

I was at that username too. Nailed it.

Thanks for mansplaining, and again, for those at the back - there's no delays or shortages of mammographers that there is any data for. Nothing been posted on these threads, anyway.
Username reads like a porn addled man, mansplains like a man. Thanks for your manly contribution.

At no point did that poster say that she didn’t think that women should be allowed to express their opinions.

However, those who don’t have any objections to males doing mammograms (either on here or elsewhere) must now accept that view has resulted in a drop in the number of women going for screening.

I think there’s a difference between being happy to be examined by a man, and being happy with the implications of that for other women - both service users and professionals (ie reducing roles and training available for women - nobody said the males were extra resource)

But it's feminist to enable the dismantling of a women only service because you, today, don't happen to be a woman who needs it?

For goodness sake.

"And to all the women on here who were posting they didn't care who did it, this is the result. Women self excluding."

So you don't think women should be allowed to express their opinions?

Fine if you don't think it's a good idea, but don't you see the irony in suggesting women should shut up unless they agree with you? Some women honestly wouldn't mind a man doing a mammogram (particularly if it meant they got seen sooner) and they are allowed to say so. It's not exactly feminist to berate them for not towing what you think should be the party line.

I think it's fairly unlikely that NHS policy will change solely due to an unverified vox poll collated from a MN forum post....

Because public health screening is about reaching the 100% of the targeted population.

The Nail on the Head.

Always the core issue and it needs flagging everywhere.

As soon as you start flapping about 'inclusiveness' for men in womens spaces and resources, you do it at the expense of excluding a percentage of the women the resource was for . In this case, providing bloody medical care ffs.

Getting men into nice inclusive positions in women's health care at the cost of excluding women is mad. Fuck that. It deserves no politer or more explained reply.

I think they would see it more as obfuscation than a lie, because at least some trusts seem to currently be operating a self-ID policy for mammogram recruitment, so technically if transwomen are already doing the job, then this motion doesn’t make changes as it’s already occurring.

All they’d regard the motion to be doing is ratifying the recruitment of the biological males which has already taken place.

That is terrible. I'm so sorry.

👏👏👏👏

Because of a historical decision based on the ability to staff and fund the screening.

Because back when medicine/ doctoring became a profession men called women witches and prevented women from praticing of medicine. From teaching other women the skills they had learned while providing women with limited medical care. So no women doctors for Gynaecology Midwifery or Obstetrics. And if its male dominated in the doctor end and women get in, why not let men into the nursing end too?

Because screening began at a time in the UK when women were allowed to work in the medical fields.

Because it is public health screening to detect and prevent breast cancer which is only open women.

Because public health screening is about reaching the 100% of the targeted population.

Because screening a cost saving medical tool.

Because anything which is designed into the system which eliminates a segment of the population is systemic failure

Because failure to recognise a root design flaw shows the people in charge did not have and do not the professional competence to run the screening.

Because it involves specialist training and equipment.

Because some women dont want men touching them so why train men into a role which creates a system failure which creates a higher cost of late stage breast cancer when it can be avoided.

Because it is an economic value for money decision to limit the employee role to women.

Why didn’t they canvas service users (women) before tabling this unpopular proposal? Where is the demand?

The thing that struck me about that FB post was the emphasis on inclusive careers, where the focus should be on service users’ needs and an inclusive service.

In the case of the pregnancy checking, they have decided NHS policy. They have. There are threads on this subject - radiographers have to ask males if they are pregnant.

@TempNameTrauma, I am so unbelievably sorry that you had to go through that. It is unconscionable that someone somewhere signed off on allowing that situation to arise.

Not in my recent journey - 2021 to 2025.

My initial screening, my further screening and biopsy, my surgeon, my anethsetist,, my consultant radiologist, radiotherapists and those delivering my chemotherapy were all women ( and very very good).

I had one phone conversation with my consultant oncologist which went so badly, I had to complain and never spoke to him again. The man was an arrogant thoughtless knob.

There was one male chemotherapy assistant who weighed me and a male junior oncologist who did an update to notes. Neither of them examined me.

Otherwise an all female staff. Grateful thanks to the brilliant team at North Hampshire NHS 😊

It was this woman - if you search on Facebook for the SoR her post appears. It’s completely open and in the public domain.

Sadly, it was almost certainly a captured #BeKind young female.

Just about all those at my last Trust were lining up in support of trans, enthusiastically expunging any term that didn’t centre men, like ‘woman’, ‘breast feeding’, ‘pregnant woman’.

the S/CoR are woke af.

I have not RTFT nor the last one. I have name changed.
I am posting because there seems to be a misunderstanding.
My NHS mammograph in 2018/19 was done by a male in his 50s. He wore a magnificent wig and did not show his face till I was trapped in the machine. This was in a mobile unit staffed by this man and a woman who was also a mammographer.

Because of his violent and predatory behaviour I have not responded to my invitation to another, and will not now submit to another mammogram for the rest of my life.

I expected a woman, but if it had turned out to be a professional decent man I would have accepted that.

For reference I have only ever seen male gynocologists, to the extent that I wonder if there even are any female ones. None of them have assaulted me. When not accompanied I have been offered someone to sit in but never felt the need. By contrast you are not allowed to have a witness to your mammogram.

Unfortunately predators look for opportunities to access their prey in a vulnerable state, and a mammogram combines undress, isolation and physical restraint. I think it is unreasonable to assume that predators would not be attracted to this role. This is unfortunate for non-predators who might be excluded from one small area of work. It is vastly more than unfortunate for the prey.

I did search online later and found there had been a consultation in 2016 about allowing men in, and so I am surprised that it is a new question, unless triggered by the Supreme Court ruling which hopefully prevents repeats of my experience.

And that’s perfectly fine. It’s not a reason for employing male mammographers in the screening service, though.

*whoops. “grabbing”.

SOR doesn't decide NHS policy. They've passed this mad resolution stating what they'd like NHS policy to be. They will now lobby the NHS about it presumably. I don't think it will be straightforward for the NHS to just agree with the SOR and change policy. Especially not in light of SC ruling.
Because this relates to an important public health screening programme, I would expect there to be a serious consultation an impact assessment before any change to policy. I would expect Wes Streeting to take a keen interest too. The fact that the SOR have admitted that the motion led to women cancelling their mammograms suggests it isn't going to be easy to convince people that this is a good idea.