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?

They’ll notice.

How horrifyingly selfish do you need to be to do this? Someone I know has been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27. She was told at the first appointment that she would need to start fertility preservation treatment as soon as possible, and then had to go and wait back in the waiting room. She and her fiance had just been talking about planning a baby before that. Imagine if she had to face someone’s child after that.

I'd ask one of the school mums, I'd do this in a heartbeat even if it wasn't one of DS' close friends, drop him round for breakfast then they can go to school together. I'd be really concerned there would be follow up checks or tests and if the news isn't good, it would be awful for him to be there

I had a (routine) mammogram last week - on the appointment letter it says very clearly that they can't look after children or dependents while you're scanned. It may be different if they want to see you quickly (hope you're ok) but if not I hope you can find someone to have your ds.

Try childminders in the area, ask the staff at breakfast club if you’d be able to pay any of them to have him earlier, look for emergency childcare online.

ive had two apts there in the last eight years. Each apt lasted about four hours and involved check up, scan, mammogram, then another check up with dr. There was time between each part but not much, and not even long enough to go to get a cuppa. Can you see if he can stay at a friend house the night before? Just as a one off?

This is not selfish at all.

This woman is on the two week wait for a cancer screening herself

She does not know what the results will be and and she needs to attend ASAP

Yes ideally her son will be here for elsewhere but if that is not possible she still needs to attend the appointment and a 10 or 11-year-old in the waiting room is hardly likely to rub salt into the wound of someone that needs to do fertility preserving treatment

To describe this as very selfish on part of the OP is horrifically unkind.

She is doing her best in difficult circumstances like the person you were describing

It’s not like the child is a newborn that will be rolling around on the floor on their own.

Of course the child would be better off elsewhere, but sometimes there is no choice

I’m sure if the hospital won’t tolerate it, they will turn her away

Post like yours made me want to vomit

I've just had one of those appointments, they did say don't bring children, but I'm sure that's disruptive young kids where you or the staff might be interrupted. A well behaved nine year will be fine. Initially I was in and out of the waiting room, then in for a bit for a biospy (about 40 mins). Just prepare him that you might have be a while and not to panic. Good luck x

They absolutely do!!!

My local hospital doesn't allow under 13's to wait in the waiting area alone. I have seen them ask ages too.

Absolutely they do, I was told I had cancer there and then. I would not have wanted either of my children there and they were late teens.

I got my letter to attend this week. It clearly says on it 'We cannot look after children or dependents while you are having your screening'.

Please ask anybody you can to care for your child instead of taking him with you.
It won't be a good situation for you, for him, for staff or for other patients.
Not a place for children at all.

I’m so sorry you have this added stress. I’d ask literally any of the parents in your son’s class. I would do this for any of them - even the ones my son doesn’t like - if that’s reassuring at all. But I’d hope none of my kids’ friends’ parents would ever think twice about anything like this. Super easy - just drop him off on your way in, he has breakfast with a classmate and goes to school. You and everyone else there can do what you need to do without distractions (and yes I think somewhat likely you’d be sent home if you brought a child along)

My advice is to ask for a later appointment. When I went to get a lump checked at the rapid 2 week breast clinic, I was there for 5 hours. Even without the unexpected news, extra screening and tests, they state that you could be there for 3 hours.

You cannot take your son with you.

If the appointment is not until next Thursday, you have time to organise.
Call the clinic first thing on Monday, explain, and ask for an appointment after school drop-off. If you can't get through to the clinic, keep calling, and try going through all other avenues to find a direct line: google for alternative numbers, hospital main switchboard, your GP etc. Search for an email address for them. Do you have the NHS app, and does it come up as appointment on there? You may be able to re-book through the app.

If you really can't get the appointment changed, find someone - anyone - to take your DC to school instead.

When I was referred to the breast clinic after a mammogram, I couldn't make the day of the appointment they gave me, so I called to rebook for a few days later. When I turned up on the new date, they had no record of my new appointment in the system (NHS computer systems...), but they fitted me in anyway.

Within an hour or so I had had another mammogram, an ultrasound, a biopsy, and had been told it was almost certainly breast cancer, so they booked me an appointment with a surgeon for when the biopsy results would be through.

If you are lucky, your appointment will go differently, but there is no way on earthg that you could leave a nine-year-old sitting in the waiting room while you go through the process. I am pretty sure that clinic letters usually specifically say that you must not bring children with you.

I had results the same day. Luckily all was fine.

Yes my friend was told immediately that it was cancer. She just had to wait for the histology results to find out the type and stage.

I try to chose very early hospital appointments because there’s usually no one before me so you’re in and out quickly. I don’t think they’re going to blurt anything out in front of a young child. I would get the testing done and ask them to give you the results separately. You can usually see results in the NHS app anyway. Your health is important, more important than a few hours schooling at that age, even if he does end up being late.
But do try to get someone from the school to help.

It’s not really the child sitting in the waiting room that is the real issue though is it, though it is likely he could end up missing a whole morning of school because of a possibly very long appointment. It is the thought that the OP might get bad news which she would prefer to be able to think about for a few hours first before facing her nine year old, and him seeing her very upset.

What a nasty & irrational post.

I’ve been and it was 3 hours, you see about three different people

I took my child. It was a early evening appointment
The stack of magazines for all types of i terests did the trick of entertainment and a on silent phone.
Im sure it needs to be done often.

They can do. My friend who has breast cancer got a series of tests and bad news all on the first day when she went for what I think was a breast screening.

Could he have a sleepover with a mate and go into school with them? Then you can just concentrate on you.

I have had to have a number of breast cysts removed. But have to go through mammogram then ultrasound first so the appointment can take time and there are usually a few different waiting rooms. Only the women having the treatment can be in the secondary waiting rooms

Right this is absolute bonkers. There are kids everywhere anyway, they could just as easily walk out into the carpark and see family. I have had some difficult gynae appointments and I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if I saw a kid in the waiting room.

People need to have more compassion for single parents and I say that as a woman who doesn’t have kids. It’s obviously not ideal for the child to be there for the various reasons people have mentioned but that’s more for her sake and the kids, she’s not being “selfish” 🙄