Screening Services

Screening for Trans and Non-Binary people

You will automatically be invited for national screening programmes that match the gender on your NHS record. If this is not appropriate (for example if you are a trans woman, registered with us as female, you will not require cervical screening), please discuss this with us and we can remove you from the screening programme

If you need screening for something that doesn't match your registered gender (for example cervical screening for a trans man, registered with us as male), you won't be automatically called for screening. Our surgery will try to get in touch with you when your screening is due, but we might not always be aware we need to do this.

To opt out of, or enroll onto, a screening programme, please call our admin team on 01371 810328, option 2, and ask to speak to James, our non-clinical trans healthcare lead, and we will discuss this with you.

Click here to read more about screening for trans people

Breast Screening is coming to Braintree! Read some FAQs below

Is The Breast Screening Programme for women experiencing symptoms of suspicion of cancer?

No as this is a routine appointment there is normally at least 2 months wait for the appointment and then it can take up to two weeks for the imaging to be processed before the women is recalled for further testing. If a woman is exhibiting any symptom where there is a suspicion of cancer then an urgent 2ww referral should be made to the cancer hub at either Colchester or Broomfield Hospital.

What happens if a woman tells us she is having symptoms?

The Breast Screening Clerical Officer will advise the women to contact the GP and arrange to be seen urgently so that a 2ww referral can be made. The Breast Screening Programme is designed to give early detection of non-symptomatic breast cancer. As cancer is not suspected it is a routine appointment and will not allow for a quicker detection of breast cancer than a 2ww referral.

What age are women eligible for routine breast screening and how often is it carried out?

Women are called for their first breast screening from the age of 50, however, this can happen between 49 to 53 depending on which area we are screening in. This is to ensure that the majority of the women who are registered at your practice will be called to attend on the mobile when it is in your area. We continue to call Every 3 years and will continue to call the women until they are 70 years and 11 months. Once a women is 71 they can still have breast screening on a free basis but they will need to call us to do a self-referral (01206 748339) and this can be done every 3 years and there is no age limit for self-referral.

Is it possible to carry out breast screening on women with physical disabilities?

If a women is unable to climb stairs to have their breast screening on one of our mobile breast units we would offer them their breast screening at either Broomfield or Colchester Breast Units, dependent on their GP’s affiliation. We class these appointments as special appointments and the women are given a double slot appointment. If they are in a wheelchair then they can either transfer to a specialist mammography chair or we can carry out the test from the wheelchair if the arms are removable. We do not have the capability to offer mammography to a women who is bed bound, if there is any worry for a women who is bed bound then a 2ww referral should be made so that they can attend a rapid diagnostic clinic.

Is it possible to have an Ultrasound instead of a mammogram?

The Routine Breast Screening Programme is designed around the mammogram test. Ultrasound would only be offered at the second stage of screening when a mammographic anomaly had been found. If you feel a women needs an ultrasound then they should be given a 2ww referral into the rapid diagnostic clinic where Ultrasound is available.

Are any of the people carrying out mammograms male?

At present all of our mammographers who will be carrying out the routine breast screening mammograms are female. If a woman is called to the second stage of breast screening then she may be seen by a male Consultant Radiologist and later a male Consultant Breast Surgeon.

Is it possible to refer to the family history through breast screening?

The Routine Breast Screening Service does not have the capability to accept referrals for family history or high risk. Family history should be referred to the Breast Unit symptomaticbreastreferrals@esneft.nhs.uk and suspected genetic high risk should be referred to gos-tr.clinicalgenetics@nhs.net

Can a woman have Breast Mammography more often than every three years?

The Breast Screening mandate is for every women who falls into the eligible age group and those referring themselves over 71, can have breast screening once every three years. If they delay the screening for any reason then the next offered will be three years from each test. If they fail to attend they will automatically be invited again in the next round three years later.

Will Breast Screening be offered to women currently on follow up for a treated breast cancer?

Unfortunately the Breast Screening computer system is a stand-alone system. This means that it does not remove women who are currently having yearly follow up (or those on High Risk or Family history) mammograms. Please encourage any women who comment on this to call us so that we can mark them as under care and that way they will not get a DNA letter.

Is it possible to opt out of Breast Screening?

Some women decide that the three yearly mammogram is not something that they want to participate in. They have the choice of not attending the offered appointment or they can contact us and we can send a form for them to sign which will opt them out of

invitation. If this is done they can opt back in at any point. For women who have had a bilateral mastectomy we try to capture them at the time of surgery but in some cases where the surgery has been carried out outside of our hospitals an invitation will be sent. Again if this happens we would ask that they are encouraged to let us know as we have a process which will stop invitations going out to them. Both of these processes are registered on a nation system so if the woman moves they do not have to inform the new Screening Service. There is also a process for women who do not have the capacity to consent for Breast Screening.

Does Breast Screening hurt?

The process of carrying out a mammogram requires compression of the breasts. This can be uncomfortable but should not cause lasting pain. The mammographer can stop the examination if the woman finds it too uncomfortable but they will try to make things as easy as possible for each woman. It is advised that if a woman experiences any discomfort after the mammogram then analgesic is taken.

Can women with breast implants or pace makers have a mammogram?

A woman with breast implants will be given a special appointment (Double slot) this is because extra imaging is done “to get around them”. It is important that women let the mammographer know about breast implants as they will make adjustments to the examination. For women with other types of implants such as pace makers the examination can still be done but again the mammographer will adjust how they carry out the x-ray.

Will I have to go Colchester for my Breast Screening?

Colchester is the administrative hub for the Chelmsford and Colchester Breast Screening Service. The majority of our correspondence comes from Colchester. However, we have screening across the entire North and Mid Essex regions as well as the two Breast Units at Colchester and Broomfield Hospitals. See the table showing our locations and approximate dates. We aim to invite women when we are in the area with our mobile. However, if the mobile is not there then the affiliated hospital to their GP will be offered as an alternative.

Are Trans women entitle to routine breast screening?

Trans women are entitle to three yearly breast screening. If they match the criteria for High Risk Screening then they become eligible for yearly screening. Once a trans woman begins hormone treatment at the start of their transition then their gender should be changed to either indeterminate or female and they will then automatically be picked up in the calling system. We do generally double check when this change has been made on the system, to avoid any mistakes.

Should women be referred to Breast Screening if they are going onto HRT.

A woman will only be able to have breast screening if they are due for their three yearly mammogram. If they have failed to attend their last offered breast screening then they can self-refer themselves but if they have attended then an early mammogram cannot be offered.