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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To Feel Outraged.

276 replies

IgamOgamJones · 07/07/2018 15:17

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!

OP posts:
AryaOfWinterfell · 07/07/2018 16:21

Before having a go at your GP practice have a look at the letter. In my area they are sent out not by the GP, but by a screening department for the main NHS.
At our practice it doesn’t matter if you tell us you don’t want one, you need to tell the third party (details will be on the letter) and they will opt you out permanently if that’s what you want.

Clubcuts · 07/07/2018 16:23

@LighthouseSouth men are routinely tested for bowel cancer at age 60, they are invited to provide a stool sample. You're dreadfully unknowledgeable!

HRTpatch · 07/07/2018 16:23

Don't attend them.
But dont come moaning on here at a later stage.

Clubcuts · 07/07/2018 16:24

@NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking I'm sorry Thanks

My brother was one of the lucky ones, to which I thank the NHS.

Crocodilesaresnappy · 07/07/2018 16:25

It's 5 mins for a smear test. It's 5 mins for 2 phone calls. One could save your life. YABU

Nothisispatrick · 07/07/2018 16:26

Or 5 secs to put letter in bin and get on with life

Clubcuts · 07/07/2018 16:26

@Crocodilesaresnappy but OP can't spare that five mins! Dreadfully busy she is!

AryaOfWinterfell · 07/07/2018 16:26

Bugjune - I don’t know about other sections of the country, but here in the south west there is no money attached to the amount of smears done.

LighthouseSouth - men have screening for AAA www.nhs.uk/conditions/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm/ They are also encouraged to come and have their prostate checked out once they’re of a certain age.

Clubcuts · 07/07/2018 16:27

@Nothisispatrick and let the NHS continue sending letters etc at a cost to them?

nNina22 · 07/07/2018 16:28

I'm the opposite. I don't qualify for smears as I'm over 65 however I've just had a cervical polyp removed (the second one since turning 65) and a hysteroscopy to investigate post menopausal bleeding and a biopsy of a very large fibroid. I didn't realise I no longer qualified for smears. Can I request regular smears now?

Sabistick · 07/07/2018 16:29

I've opted out, for the time being (i'm 56), I understand this is part of a screening regimen for my own good. I just really hate them, and take responsibility for my decision.

The docs just really want you to know how important this health care is. I would accept these letters and deal with them good grace.

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 07/07/2018 16:30

@clubcuts

I should probably add... he’s still around! But had he been sooner he wouldn’t have needed the radical removal of his prostate, the unsurity of whether it would work because of how much it had spread. Not knowing whether he is in the clear at the moment (still has cancer cells present... but they don’t know the source now), and knowing he’ll refuse further treatment as he won’t risk being doubly incontinent.

The NHS are amazing, I cannot get my head around why people don’t appreciate it more.

squiggleirl · 07/07/2018 16:31

@squiggleirl but that's not the topic of conversation here?

But it is. A poster asked if she was unreasonable to be outraged? I think she is. An example of how unreasonable I think she is being is that even when let down by a screening program, women dealing with cervical cancer are fighting for a better screening program, not it's abolition.

And also the hundreds dying from cover up is the same that hundreds will die from not being tested?
No it's not. Without testing, many more women would have died/would be dying. The screening program, whilst flawed, still saved lives.

As I said in my original post. I feel there are many more things to be outraged at than a health service attempting to save lives.

Skarossinkplungerridesagain · 07/07/2018 16:33

Honestly op I think you're being a complete arsehole about this. We have a free healthcare service that cares about women's health and professionals who are willing to work ridiculous hours for a pittance. Just answer the fucking letter and stop bitching about it.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 07/07/2018 16:35

If you really don't want to have a smear then don't. Ignore the letters if you want but I can't see the point of being outraged. My Dr sent me a text inviting me for an over 40s check. I managed to delete and ignore without being 'outraged'!

Clubcuts · 07/07/2018 16:35

@NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking I'm so sorry I assumed. In that case I hope that he recovers, the NHS are marvellous and as I said my brother is clear.

I so hope your dad is as lucky.
Still have some Thanks

Crocodilesaresnappy · 07/07/2018 16:36

Smear 5 mins. 2 x telephone calls 5 mins. One of those 5 mins could save yr life. I know what I'd choose.

Clubcuts · 07/07/2018 16:37

@squiggleirl my apologies I thought you were saying the OP was in the right.

I'm sorry Thanks

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 07/07/2018 16:38

@clubcuts I worded it badly, it did read that way!

Thank you, glad your brother is doing well 👌

Emma198 · 07/07/2018 16:38

Cannot fathom why you would want to opt out.

Crocodilesaresnappy · 07/07/2018 16:39

Sorry thought the first one hadn't posted! OP could have made those phone calls/ taken the test by the time I'd posted those! Smile

IhopeyoulikeNavantoo · 07/07/2018 16:42

Everyone hates smears but it's an amazing service which could save your life. My aunt died of cervical cancer in her 60s and I very much doubt she was hugely sexually active. I will keep having them as long as I can.

Orangecake123 · 07/07/2018 16:43

Cervical smears save lives.

LighthouseSouth · 07/07/2018 16:48

The bowel cancer thing is quite recent isn't it

Whereas opting out of cervical screening and having your doctor shout at you - really - is an experience that goes on, even after you opt out "forever."

Look at the difference between the NHS prostate test info page and the cervical screen page.

squiggleirl · 07/07/2018 16:51

^@squiggleirl my apologies I thought you were saying the OP was in the right.*

I'm sorry

Phew! I thought we were going to have to get into a battle on-line there! To be absolutely clear on this, I think the OP is as far from right as she can possibly be. So many women in Ireland are fighting for access to an effective, reliable cervical cancer screening program. We are seeing women needlessly die because of cervical cancer. We have been let down, but we want to be minded. We want better. We want a reliable screening program. To the best of our knowledge, the UK has better. So to hear of somebody in the UK voluntarily opting out of a program is bad enough, but to be outraged that there are fail-safes in the system, just beggars belief.

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