To Feel Outraged.

[IgamOgamJones]

I received a letter from my doctor's surgery about cervical smears. I don't want one. I'm 50 and don't want any more, I've done what they said for my entire adult life re getting a cervical smear and I've had enough thank you NHS, no need to spend precious funds on that ok? NO, not ok. The letter says that if I do not wish to have these tests I am required to ring my doctor and then after that if I STILL don't want the bloody thing shoved up me and my cervix scraped then I am required to ring another bloody number! FFS! I don't want my cervix scraped any more and I don't want to listen to a well meaning doctor explain to me that I have no idea about my health so isn't it better to be safe rather than sorry...now, knickers off and open your legs so I can shove this thing up you AGAIN. Am I overreacting, I don't bloody think so!

You are majorly over reacting OP unless there is some epic backstory to this.
If you are that upset then bin the letter or call the number as people have suggested.

Offer to sign something to say you understand the risks involved and you don't want to be screened again. Screening programmes have tight targets (they are proven to save lives) so have to report on each patient that doesn't take up the invitation.
The NHS has been sued as patients have opted out of screening programmes and then had cancer etc and the patients blame the NHS.

I'm 64 and they're still inviting me to go to have a speculum shoved up my fanny despite having never had a successful smear at the GPs' surgery as there's a kink in my cervix. I just bin the letters now.

OP it’s really not difficult.
You need to speak to a clinician so they can confirm you are of sound mind and understand the decision you are making. Then you sign the paperwork to opt out.
Sadly many people say they don’t want tests, then when they get cancer they try to sue their doctor, saying they were never told there was a risk etc etc. Doctors have to cover themselves.
I can assure you, not one single person in the NHS actually cares whether you have cervical cancer or not - we really don’t - we’re just doing our job. You’re taking it way too personally. Just go through the process then you can forget about it.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/

So this info on the NHS website where they say they test for abnormal cells, it's wrong then?

YABU.

floralnomad if you truly believe that being in a “monogamous” relationship protects you from HPV infection, I suggest you look in the relationship forum!

From the NHS website: you are invited and it's a choice- not compulsory and no treatment is contingent on it.

All women who are registered with a GP are invited for cervical screening:

aged 25 to 49 – every 3 years
aged 50 to 64 – every 5 years
over 65 – only women who haven't been screened since age 50 or those who have recently had abnormal tests

Being screened regularly means any abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix can be identified at an early stage and, if necessary, treated to stop cancer developing.

But cervical screening isn't 100% accurate and doesn't prevent all cases of cervical cancer.

Screening is a personal choice and you have the right to choose not to attend.

You can still get cervical cancer after your Fifty, it does not stop there. I suppose you are going to need NHS treatment if you get it. Why the outrage. Women have had cervical cancer who ignored the letters.

Chill out.
It's a letter.

Just ignore it, or go through the process of telling them you wish to opt out.

No one enjoys a smear.

I'm with you - any letters re bowel tests. breast screening, etc etc go straight in the bin.

Just ask the GP practice to give you an opt out form to sign.

Very straight forward.

They are trying to help you look after your health..

YABVU

Yanbu
They dont do this to men for any kind of cancer do they?

just dont make an appointment then if you don't want one

Am I overreacting, I don't bloody think so

I think you're overreacting.

Just don't go, bin the letter, whatever.

YBVU you an just make two phone calls. It may not change your mind but it will change some people's minds and since getting preventative tests is by far the most sensible choice for almost everyone that's a good thing.

I saw a gynaecologist last week who told me the most likely age for cervical cancer was mid 30s and 60 to 70 so people should continue with smears - up to you but although unpleasant could save your life...

I read that GPs are offered financial incentives for cervical smears, which explained my surgery's unusually dogged persistence.

YANBU.

As an Irish woman, I feel dismayed at the idea that the difficulty associated with opting out of a cervical cancer screening program causes the OP such outrage.

We are still reeling from the scandal of a cover-up related to our cervical cancer screening program. Hundreds of women misdiagnosed, some of whom have already died. Hundreds of women now facing terminal cancer diagnoses. Hundreds of children watching their mothers die.

And yet, whilst these women want a better screening program, and they want lessons to be learned, not one of them is saying they think women shouldn't be having smear tests. Not of these women living and dying with cervical cancer is advocating not having smear tests.

I believe outrage would be far more appropriate in relation to the health service that covered up the fact that these women weren't minded, or the lab that wanted these women to sign non-disclosure agreements. To feel outrage that a health service wants to mind the women in it's care, and ensure they don't slip through the cracks, or that human error by one person doesn't mean they're missed? Nah, doesn't seem appropriate to me.

don't want to listen to a well meaning doctor explain to me that I have no idea about my health so isn't it better to be safe rather than sorry...now, knickers off and open your legs so I can shove this thing up you AGAIN. Am I overreacting, I don't bloody think

They are making sure because batshit unreasonable ungrateful people like you will then sue as they didn't realise how important they were and now they're going to die a horrible premature death!

To those saying ignore the letters is OP really that important she can't make two calls? She really wants to use valuable NHS money wasted on her to let them keep trying! Damn these people for trying to prevent an early death!

I don't suppose they relish looking and scraping between your open legs, but they do like savings lives!

Rude, ungrateful, lazy, batshit and frankly stupid OP!

*LighthouseSouth

Yanbu
They dont do this to men for any kind of cancer do they?*

I wish they did, maybe it would’ve prompted my dad to get his prostate checked in time.

What?! really confused

You are so privileged that this is offered.

IgamOgamJones Cervical Smears are in the news in Ireland at the moment.
Sadly a number of women were sent false negative test results and some have died. Others are now being told the cancer has spread to other organs.
Personally I think it's better to have them - and I find them extremely painful.

@squiggleirl but that's not the topic of conversation here? Perhaps start your own thread about the cover up? And also the hundreds dying from cover up is the same that hundreds will die from not being tested?