ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO BE MEDICALLY SCREENED.

There has been a report in the media recently on the low take up of breast cancer screening by women in general. There is a particularly low take up by women in London. I have a suspicion that the numbers among women with impairments is even lower.
In 2002, I was diagnosed with pre-cancerous cells after a routine mammogram, one month after losing a close friend who died from breast cancer. She never had a mammogram and had a horrible year of suffering before she died. I was more fortunate because early diagnosis and immediate surgery has stopped my pre- cancer cells spreading. No further treatment was necessary. I am monitored regularly. The radiographer has always been able to x-ray me whilst sitting in my wheel chair. However, one of my friends was told they couldn’t x-ray her because of her poor posture. This is very worrying; every effort should be made to overcome any obstacles to doing these x-rays. Breast screening is usually done in a mobile unit attached to a NHS hospital. These units usually have steps. In my experience there has always been alternative arrangements for wheel chair access to another screening unit in the same hospital.
I am very concerned that whenever the media discusses medical screening. It is never suggested that people with disabilities should also be included in all types of medical screening. A man with Down’s Syndrome has recently been diagnosed with diabetes in the post mortem after dying suddenly. I am both sad and angry to hear of this.