Statement from the Society of Radiographers re Mammograms

[Mollyollydolly]

The Society of Radiographers have issued the following statement after the news story this week.
Women are already self excluding because of the coverage, women will probably die.
They have fucked up massively.
I have no words for the damage they've done.
I'd really love to know which individual proposed it in the name of diversity and inclusion.
So angry about it.
And to all the women on here who were posting they didn't care who did it, this is the result. Women self excluding.

"Recent media coverage about the role of men in mammography has caused concern for people and we want to provide reassurance and set the record straight.
The coverage followed a motion passed at the Society of Radiographers’ Annual Delegates Conference (ADC). ADC provides members with the opportunity to help shape the strategic direction of the Society. Each region and country propose motions for debate, which are voted on by delegates at the conference.
The motion in question asked the Society to explore how we could support fair access to mammography as a career, as mammography in breast screening is currently restricted to female staff.
It does not change NHS policy, and it does not mean that only male mammographers will be employed.
We understand that this coverage has led to distress and confusion, with some contacting screening services or cancelling appointments, concerned that they will be having a man perform their mammogram. We are deeply sorry for the concern this has caused and are working to provide clear and accurate information.
No changes have been made to who carries out breast screening by this motion. The breast screening experience remains:

• A specialist called a mammographer will take breast screening mammograms.
• The mammographer will be female.
• They will explain what will happen at each stage, and you can ask any questions you may have.
• Radiographers and mammographers in NHS services continue to ensure that patient care is delivered safely, sensitively, and with respect for personal, cultural, and religious needs.

Breast screening is a vital part of early cancer detection and saves lives every year. We recognise how important it is that women feel safe, respected and informed when accessing these services. Protecting trust in the screening programme is essential, and we are working with our NHS colleagues to support this. The motion passed at ADC will now go to the Society’s UK Council to decide whether any further work should be done. If it is taken forward, this will involve detailed discussions with NHS bodies, patient groups and service providers. While the Society can advocate for change on behalf of members, it does not have the authority to change NHS policy. Our intention is to support a professional, inclusive workforce while always protecting the rights and dignity of patients. Mammography screening services will continue to prioritise compassionate, people-centred care. Further updates will be shared when appropriate." https://www.sor.org/news/mammography/public-statement-mammography

If a male is hired the NHS can fired him via "reorganisation" redundency as the role for a male no longer exists there is a new role for female staff.

The NHS service have a big "we totaly fucked up" problem as they have in principle opted out of the exemption and have made a wedge for the next man who wants to apply to point out they already have a male employee.

So the court cases would bring in the wider meaning of woman in employment law and the law used to set up the screening. Including any training provision and the ability to lawfully obtain state funded training

I’m a mammographer. I’ve said this several times on the various threads. Look at NHS jobs website to see how many vacancies are advertised for mammographers. You may be surprised. Shortages aren’t because women won’t do the job. They can be because trusts prefer to work under staffed because of financial reasons. Or they are ‘fully staffed’ and don’t need to recruit. It’s unusual to get fully qualified applicants for vacancies but there are applicants for training posts. And we are inundated with applicants for assistant practitioner roles.

So, who's training the men? Why have they done so without asking the patients, why didn't they take notice of the equality act exemption? Someone has fucked up here.

Goodness me, the person who apparently wrote that motion is a short-sighted fool, in thrall to the menz.
It's full of buzz words, no? And now the patients have said 'we don't like it, NO' - will she realise that for care to be patient-centred YOU NEED TO BLOODY INVOLVE THE PATIENTS IN ANY CHANGE.

I’ve had all my routine mammograms and several “urgent” ones and I’m now too old to be called. I can and will ask for one in a year or two. I’ve never seen a female gynaecologist despite at least four separate NHS referrals.

Sorry I’m being very slow this morning. But didn’t the statement say:
No changes have been made to who carries out breast screening by this motion.
The breast screening experience remains:

• A specialist called a mammographer will take breast screening mammograms.
• The mammographer will be female.

Transwomen aren’t female, they are male by definition. So the mammographers have to be actual women. Don’t they? Otherwise the statement is an outright lie. ?

@LeftieRightsHoarder I think what’s happening here is that the woman who said she’d tabled the motion in the photo I posted earlier has now had that motion passed by the SoR. However, the NHS still has to accept the motion and accept male mammographers into its screening services. This means that at the moment it’s a service for women by women (including some men no doubt, but we weren’t allowed to complain about those ones until recently)

There’s no suggestion that there aren’t enough women to do this job, only that it’s unfair that men are not allowed to

@MyOliveHelper Then they should immediately offer to rebook an appointment when a woman radiographs is available.

The fact is male mammographers are not acceptable to most women and they cannot be forced o accept them. Nothing will change that so the NHS would be wasting money placing a male radiographer in a mammogram unit.

Then you’ve been unlucky (although I appreciate you might not care who sees you) as the ‘chances are’ more women will see female gynaecologists because there are more employed in that specialty. However, you will have had (or should have had) a female chaperone in what is a very different setting from a a routine breast screening.

The fact that screening services have already seen a drop in numbers attending since this motion was passed should tell you everything you need to know.

A colleague, married to a surgeon, told me years ago that gynecology appealed to men as there was a lot of private work to be had. In other words it's a cash cow.

I don't know how true this is, but the same cannot be said of male mammographers who would more than likely be an NHS band 6 or private healthcare similar.

As I have said before on another thread, DD is a radiographer, there are lots of male radiographers but a lot less than those female. There isn't a shortage of female radiographers wanting to take up that modality. Men tend to gravitate towards other modalities, often with less patient interaction and crappy hours such as reporting.

This just stinks of virtue signaling by the SoR, although a less cynical me thinks that at the moment men with breast cancer don't have the option of having a male mammographer.

This. Its men crying because there's a career thats hard for them to get into. Cry harder. Female-only spaces should remain just that.

Ok, so it looks like the SoR aren't going to listen to their service users at this point so who is the next link in the chain? Would contacting the UK National Screening Committee, our local NHS Trusts and breast cancer support charities be the best option?
I'm 7 years post diagnosis and treatment but am still involved in a few groups so will start there.

I realise that, what I am saying is that at sometime in your breast cancer 'journey' you will be examined by a man.

You may be examined by a man, yes - but you will be chaperoned and you will be seen in a very different setting. You will also be able to refuse a male Dr. Just because something happens in one setting to women in a particular way shouldn’t mean that millions of women are forced to accept males in a very different setting performing a very different test on them in a far more physical way.

Which is a completely separate point to what is being proposed by the SoR.
And any men you interact with further along your breast cancer journey will be chaperoned.
How hard is it to understand that in order for a voluntary screening programme to be successful it must place as few barriers as possible to participation!
No woman is going to refuse treatment from a (chaperoned) male HCP if she is on the urgent cancer referral pathway but women are already self excluding from screening after finding out about this proposal from the SoR.

Indeed, what does happen if they’ve been employing males and allowing them unconsenting access to females - as the letter to Brighton trust suggests? I wonder if anyone is aware they have been examined by a male without their consent? Given the SC ruling, that looks like a very winnable court case now….

Spade ready!

I had breast cancer 6 years ago, so I’ve been examined many times. Most have been by male doctors. The difference is that the technique is sort of pressing down with flat hands, whereas mammograms can involve gravity the breast tissue.

SOR doesn't decide NHS policy. They've passed this mad resolution stating what they'd like NHS policy to be. They will now lobby the NHS about it presumably. I don't think it will be straightforward for the NHS to just agree with the SOR and change policy. Especially not in light of SC ruling.
Because this relates to an important public health screening programme, I would expect there to be a serious consultation an impact assessment before any change to policy. I would expect Wes Streeting to take a keen interest too. The fact that the SOR have admitted that the motion led to women cancelling their mammograms suggests it isn't going to be easy to convince people that this is a good idea.

*whoops. “grabbing”.

And that’s perfectly fine. It’s not a reason for employing male mammographers in the screening service, though.

I have not RTFT nor the last one. I have name changed.
I am posting because there seems to be a misunderstanding.
My NHS mammograph in 2018/19 was done by a male in his 50s. He wore a magnificent wig and did not show his face till I was trapped in the machine. This was in a mobile unit staffed by this man and a woman who was also a mammographer.

Because of his violent and predatory behaviour I have not responded to my invitation to another, and will not now submit to another mammogram for the rest of my life.

I expected a woman, but if it had turned out to be a professional decent man I would have accepted that.

For reference I have only ever seen male gynocologists, to the extent that I wonder if there even are any female ones. None of them have assaulted me. When not accompanied I have been offered someone to sit in but never felt the need. By contrast you are not allowed to have a witness to your mammogram.

Unfortunately predators look for opportunities to access their prey in a vulnerable state, and a mammogram combines undress, isolation and physical restraint. I think it is unreasonable to assume that predators would not be attracted to this role. This is unfortunate for non-predators who might be excluded from one small area of work. It is vastly more than unfortunate for the prey.

I did search online later and found there had been a consultation in 2016 about allowing men in, and so I am surprised that it is a new question, unless triggered by the Supreme Court ruling which hopefully prevents repeats of my experience.

Sadly, it was almost certainly a captured #BeKind young female.

Just about all those at my last Trust were lining up in support of trans, enthusiastically expunging any term that didn’t centre men, like ‘woman’, ‘breast feeding’, ‘pregnant woman’.

the S/CoR are woke af.

It was this woman - if you search on Facebook for the SoR her post appears. It’s completely open and in the public domain.

Not in my recent journey - 2021 to 2025.

My initial screening, my further screening and biopsy, my surgeon, my anethsetist,, my consultant radiologist, radiotherapists and those delivering my chemotherapy were all women ( and very very good).

I had one phone conversation with my consultant oncologist which went so badly, I had to complain and never spoke to him again. The man was an arrogant thoughtless knob.

There was one male chemotherapy assistant who weighed me and a male junior oncologist who did an update to notes. Neither of them examined me.

Otherwise an all female staff. Grateful thanks to the brilliant team at North Hampshire NHS 😊