Taking a child to a breast screening appointment, would the hospital allow it?

[EarlyAppointment]

Had anyone taken a child to a breast screening appt (2ww referral) and the hospital have been ok with them just sitting in the waiting area ?

Ive been given a very early appt next Thursday but have absolutely nobody to have DS (9) so id have to take him with me and take him into school late afterwards. I can’t
get hold of the clinic to ask (will keep trying though) .

He would just sit quietly and wait so I think it will be ok?

Is this a breast clinic? When I had my follow up it was about 2 hours ending w a biopsy so no way could I have taken a child! It was summer 2022 and not even partners were allowed - only for the follow-up results a week later (I was fine).
Please ask a parent to take him in - I would do that for any mum in your position (when DC were at school).

They can't refuse to see you for a medical issue because you've brought your own child along. I'd hope? Presuming the alternative would basically involve doing something unlawful and endangering your child's life. Like leave them alone at home.

You haven’t said so sorry if I’m being stupid here but the more logical solution seems to be to reschedule the appointment for a later time.

They can.
Its on you to arrange childcare.

Its a 2WW appointment.
Its not easy to reschedule- and likely not the same day.

Im not saying it’s possible, I’m saying it’s worth asking because actually these appointments are not booked up weeks in advance, they are all short notice appointments so it’s something worth considering.

Where I go it's a definite no to take children in

Absolutely not.

This is not the time or place for it. You will be surrounded by women who have or about to be told they have cancer. Nobody wants to see your child there.

I’ve been twice and got the results there and then. Was there for hours though, so wouldn't be keen on taking a young child with me.

Very often the appointments breach the 2week deadline due to service pressures ...asking to reschedule means delaying a possible cancer diagnosis.
If you have been referred 2WW you have to confirm you are available within the next 2 weeks to attend an appointment.
Shuffling and cancelling doesn't mean someone else will get that slot- it means the appointment could be wasted because it can't be filled at very short notice.

Yes please don’t do this to him or yourself. If you need more than one thing done you could be there for 3 or 4 hours a 2 week wait referral is not the same as a routine mammogram.
at my appointment, I was distressed as they pretty much knew straight away it was bad. In that situation you don’t want to be worrying about children being with you though seriously hoping for you that you are in and out in half hour with a skip in your step and a weight off your chest ❤️❤️

I wouldn’t as someone who went and did get bad news the same day, I needed to process that myself before I went home.
Hopefully, you’ll have a positive outcome but there could be other patients that don’t and he possibly will see that side of things as well.
As a parent I would totally have your son that hour of the morning for you and I’m sure others would as well.

phone the hospital number on the letter and tell them your issue and ask if they could give you a slightly later appointment please or fit you in 45 mins later than planned?

if not then youre back to asking someone to help. it’s not a routine thing so you dont want a child there.

A literal stranger mum could ask me to have her child for an appointment like this and I'd be more than happy to help out and get her kiddo to school. Ask another Mum Op.

No it’s not appropriate. It’s not just about you but there will be other women in the waiting room who won’t appreciate a child being there

the simple thing is to change the appointment time/date

I can also confirm that a biopsy was not needed for me before the 'you have breast cancer conversation' was given. Not in the NHS though but I'm sure the imagining would have prompted the same conversation at a breast screening clinic in the UK. When I did have the biopsy (to determine the hormone status etc.) the Consultant Radiographer doing the biopsy told me next step was appointment with breast surgeon.

As she was leaving the room she popped her back in and said if the result was negative for Cancer to get back in touch her - because in that case she'd messed up the biopsy!

I've also experienced being given the 'all clear' results on the day at an NHS clinic. So absolutely for both pathways results on the day do happen.
Previous posters mentioning 2-3 hours are also in my experience spot on so taking all this into account I would try anything possible not to have my child with me, including rearranging appointment and waiting longer to be seen.

This. Just dont expect staff to supervise him.

Yes. I was told I had cancer the same day.

The day started at 9am. I had mammograms, physicals, ultrasounds, biopsies, and 2 meetings one with surgeon and one with Macmillan nurse. In and out of the waiting room to other waiting rooms and parts of the hospital. I was there until about 2:30pm.

My advice would ask a friend, neighbour, there may even be charities that could help. I wouldn’t subject my child to that just in case it is bad news. Hope you get good news.

Taking him with you rather than him just waiting ten mins alone in the house and then walking by himself to school and breakfast club, means that you don’t think he’s ok yet without supervision. So therefore you’re asking (without asking) the busy hospital staff to do that for you. If you think he will just sit quietly, then he will also just sit quietly at home.

I have never seen a child at a breast appointment, I am sure the letter or booklet said no to children. I hope your appointment goes well for you OP.

I’m not sure why you are so keen to explain why the appointment cannot be changed. People reschedule all the time. There is literally no reason for OP not to try.

It’s a breast clinic full of women who will be very anxious about possible breast cancer. I very much doubt they’d be ok with ‘keeping an eye’ on a random 9 year old child!
OP, ask a parent of one of his school friends if you can drop him off at their house early doors. Don’t take him to the clinic unless the staff confirm that it’s ok. You’ll likely need to have some invasive tests in my experience - he shouldn’t be there.

A breast clinic is very different to, say, a clinic to see a kidney consultant.

Of course they can - they could send you away with an appointment for the next day. If a woman did end up with a diagnosis, arrangements would have to be made for the children if she needed surgery or radiotherapy etc!

I would say not. I've sat in the breast screening waiting room too many times and it is absolutely not a place for a child to be. You could be waiting for a long time and if you get bad news then do you want your child there? It's a really difficult place to be and also not fair on staff to be expected to monitor him - even if you don't ask anyone to, they will be conscious he is there.

There must be someone you can drop him off to in the morning before you go or have a sleepover the night before. You have a few days to sort something out.