Women's Charter
Screening Commitment
- All staff will respect your privacy, dignity, religion, race and cultural beliefs
- Services and facilities will be arranged so that everyone, including people with special needs, can use the services
- Your screening records will be treated in the strictest confidence and you will be assured of privacy during your appointment
- Information will be available for relatives and friends relevant to your care in accordance with your wishes
- You will always have the opportunity to make your views known and to have them taken into account
- You will receive your first appointment within two years of becoming known to the Programme
- Once you become known to the Programme you will be invited for screenin every two years while you are aged 50 to 64 years
- You will be screened using high quality modern equipment which complies with National Breast Screening Guidelines
We Aim
- To give you at least seven days notice of your appointment
- To send you information about screening before your appointment
- To see you as promptly as possible to your appointment time
- To keep you informed about any unavoidable delays which occasionally occur
- To provide pleasant, comfortable surroundings during screening
- To ensure that we send results of your mammogram to you within three weeks
If Re-call is Required we Aim
- To ensure that you will be offered an appointment for an Assessment Clinic within two weeks of being notified of an abnormal result
- To ensure that you will be seen by a Consultant doctor who specialises in breast care
- To provide support from a Breast Care Nurse
- To ensure you get your results from the Assessment Clinic within one week
- To keep you informed of any delays regarding your results
If Breast Cancer is Diagnosed we Aim
- To tell you sensitively and with honesty
- To fully explain the treatment available to you
- To encourage you to share in decisionmaking about your treatment
- To include your partner, friend or relative in any discussions if you wish
- To give you the right to refuse treatment, obtain a second opinion or choose alternative treatment, without prejudice to your beliefs or chosen treatment
- To arrange for you to be admitted for treatment by specialised trained staff within three weeks of diagnosis
- To provide support from a Breast Care Nurse before and during treatment
- To provide you with information about local and national cancer support groups and self-help groups
Tell Us What You Think
Your views are important to us in monitoring the effectiveness of our services and in identifying areas where we can improve.
You have a right to make your opinion known about the care you received.
If you feel we have not met the standards of the Women's Charter, let us know by telling the people providing your care or in writing to the Programme.
We would also like to hear from you if you feel you have received a good service. It helps us to know that we are providing the right kind of service - one that satisfies you.
Finally, if you have any suggestions on how our service can be improved, we would be pleased to see whether we can adopt them to further improve the way we care for you.
You Can Help By
- Keeping your appointment time
- Giving at least three days notice if you wish to change your appointment
- Reading any information we send you
- Being considerate to others using the service and the staff
- Please try to be well informed about your health
Let Us Know
- If you change your address
- If you have special needs
- If you already have an appointment
Tell us what you think - your views are important.