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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to ask the Breast Screening Programme to stop sending me appointments?

75 replies

CoconutRing · 11/10/2013 22:34

I have made an informed choice not to have breast screening. I understand that the NHS have limited funds and to save time and money, I have written to my local Health Authority to request that I am removed from the invitation list.

For the third time, I have received an invitation, with an appointment time for a screening I do not want. I rang to cancel the last two appointments as a matter of courtesy as I thought that another woman may wish to take advantage of the appointment.

Each time I rang to cancel, I got the third degree as to why I was cancelling. I do not have to explain my choices to a faceless HCP, but I remained polite.

Would I be unreasonable just to ignore this letter as my wish not to be invited has been ignored?

WWYD?

OP posts:

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 08:15

Why mrslt ? Because three of us with personal experience of the importance of screening, have strong views on the subject. Two of those were worded very mildly.

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 08:15

Sorry 5 now

TiredDog · 12/10/2013 08:18

It's a choice. Just like smoking, drinking and drugs are choices. For those of you who haven't eaten 5 pieces of fruit every day this week and had 30 mins of exercise 3 times.... You've made a choice.

You cannot drag women in forcibly and mammogram them. It is a free country. Rejecting a health check is allowed....

It doesn't increase your personal risk. Why is it an issue?

TaurielTest · 12/10/2013 08:26

OP has made an informed and reasonable choice, which isn't being respected by the screening programme. She doesn't need to justify it to us, although she has done with her CRUK information, and she certainly doesn't need a load of kneejerk abuse.

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 08:30

Er because it may stop you from dying?

In the same way, children are warned to look before they cross the road. There may be no cars coming, but if there are, they may be stuffed.

DropYourSword · 12/10/2013 08:31

I think that's pretty uncalled for kyttiOP . doesn't want to for her own reasons. I really can't understand why people think they have the right to say that kind of thing...the only time it would be acceptable if she stated that NO-ONE should be offered testing. And that's not what she's saying at all. She had not asked for your opinions on whether she's right to decline testing our not, she has asked how she can stop them contacting her. As tireddog says, people engage in risk factor activities all the time. Doesn't mean you should tell them how stupid they are for not going to a gym.

Meglet · 12/10/2013 08:38

Just ignore the letters.

Personally I prefer over diagnosis to under diagnosis. I had a hysterectomy after abnormal smear tests, better that than dead.

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 08:39

The op asked if it is unreasonable to ask to stop the appointments being sent. Some of us think she is being unreasonable.

TheBigJessie · 12/10/2013 08:58

shewhowines no, she didn't. Unless you're quote-mining.

She asked whether it would be unreasonable to ignore the appointment letter, or whether she should contact them to tell them to cancel it, as she did the others.

I'm rather concerned about breast-screening now- this thread shows a correlation between screening and decreased reading comprehension. Is it a side-effect of the radiation?*

*Yes, this is someone being sarcastic. Thought I'd better make that clear.

TiredDog · 12/10/2013 09:03

She asked at the end if its unreasonable to ignore the letter. If an appointment would get wasted, yes I think it is. (She should take more thorough steps to cancel the letters). If an appt isn't wasted and BSP is ignoring her requests to stop the letters, no she isn't.

I think it's probably more unreasonable to drink more than the recommended amount, have a BMI over the healthy range and eat a diet that is over processed, dependant on sugars and fats and not do 3 x 30 min exertion of exercise per week. That sort of person is costing the NHS because they suffer health conditions, raise their risk of cancer significantly and it's irresponsible.

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 09:03

I quoted the thread title thread.

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 09:05

Obviously a correlation to decreased writing ability too

TiredDog · 12/10/2013 09:06

Semantics. Pedantics. It does rather detract from the main point that is being argued regardless of the OP questions

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 09:06

True tired dog, but I think personal experience clouds your judgement somewhat.

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 09:08

What is quote mining out of interest?

TheBigJessie · 12/10/2013 09:19

Quote-mining is the practice of taking one line out of context, and using it to support an argument, when the three paragraphs, of which the line formed part, mean something completely different when put together.

In your case, it was the thread title.

Other prominent cases are creationists, who often quote Darwin's rhetorical question on eye evolution (he said, something like, "how could the eye possibly have developed in stages?") and ignore the fact that he then spent a page answering his own question.

TheBigJessie · 12/10/2013 09:26

And to answer the actual OP...

Coconut I think you need to cancel this appointment. It's not fair to let the appointment go unused. Someone out there wants it.

Practise your Mumsnet manner. "I said I don't want an appointment. That is a complete sentence." "I didn't call to discuss my decisions with you. I called to inform you." "I have informed you I will not be attending this appointment. You are the weakest link Goodbye"

Then, write some more letters to the screening programme address itself.

DropYourSword · 12/10/2013 09:40

The op asked if it is unreasonable to ask to stop the appointments being sent. Some of us think she is being unreasonable

shewhowines No, you think she is being unreasonable to decline the screening which is a totally separate issue and not what the OP was asking about.

daisychain01 · 12/10/2013 09:50

MrsLouisT it is surprising and contraversial, for that reason I reserve judgement. It is a few people's opinion on a well informed MN Board where I am sure people are intelligent and can draw their own conclusion in the way they see fit.

I see it is no different to people smoking or drinking. They are adults with free will to make a choice, there is enough research available to help inform people's decisions, which they can interpret how they want.

shewhowines · 12/10/2013 09:54

Ok I admit that we've gone further than the thread has actually asked

But

If just by reading this thread, i can make just one person think of going for an overdue screening test, then my words are not wasted.

Being told you have cancer, for which earlier screening could have led to different outcome, must be devastating.

frogspoon · 12/10/2013 10:53

YANBU to be frustrated that they are ignoring your request, and to complain to the health authority, but YABU to not show up and waste the NHS's time and money on a missed appointment that someone else could use.

Caitlin17 · 12/10/2013 11:15

The OP has twice cancelled appointments she didn't ask for. Why should she turn up for a third appointment she didn't ask for? The waste of time and money is in sending out the 3rd appointment card.
Anyway she seems to be responsible type so she will probably cancel anyway.

There has been a lot of discussion on the Amanda Hutton threads about the lack of follow up missed appointments for her children, which should have been followed up, but as with the OP my experience is automatic chasing is being applied to grown ups who might reasonably be expected to have made their own decisions.

Talkinpeace · 12/10/2013 11:41

It has to be remembered that survival rates for cancers detected at stage 3 or 4 have not improved at all in 40 years.
What has changed is that screening picks them up at stage 1 and 2 so they never get to the later stages.

OP
So long as you are REALLY thorough to check your breasts regularly and will scoot to the GP if you have any of the symptoms YANBU

if you hope it won't happen to you and then expect treatment for a stage 3 some years down the line YABVU

harticus · 12/10/2013 12:13

They continued to send me breast screening letters even after I'd had both breasts removed and gone through cancer treatment.
It is ridiculously hard to extricate yourself from this stuff!

It is your choice to avoid screening and I am sure to don't need lectures on the pros and cons of cancer screening from either side of the argument.

You have repeatedly advised the dept that you don't want screening so just don't attend the appt.

Original poster

CoconutRing · 12/10/2013 12:17

Thanks for your replies everyone.

I will cancel the appointment. I will write to the screening programme.

I do not check my breasts and I decline smear tests.

These are my choices and I don't expect everyone to agree with me. I am not anti-screening per se. Screening should be made available to those that wish to take advantage of the opportunity.

OP posts:

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