1,000 signatures reached
To: Health Minister Ed Argar MP
Bring The Mobile Breast Screening Unit back to Fleetwood and Wyre Areas
Bring The Mobile Breast Screening Unit back to Fleetwood and Wyre Areas.
I was shocked to learn that the Mobile Breast screening unit will not be visiting Fleetwood and Wyre in the future and the closest appointments will be in Lytham or Palatine or even Lancaster, all a nightmare to reach if you don't drive.
There can't be many people who haven't been touched by this dreadful disease be it a friend, relative or on a more personal level. To make it so difficult for ladies (and men in some cases) to attend these important scans is unforgivable and will lead to people missing their appointments and lives will undoubtedly be lost.
I was shocked to learn that the Mobile Breast screening unit will not be visiting Fleetwood and Wyre in the future and the closest appointments will be in Lytham or Palatine or even Lancaster, all a nightmare to reach if you don't drive.
There can't be many people who haven't been touched by this dreadful disease be it a friend, relative or on a more personal level. To make it so difficult for ladies (and men in some cases) to attend these important scans is unforgivable and will lead to people missing their appointments and lives will undoubtedly be lost.
Why is this important?
Every time we ask or even beg for the return of the screening service we are given a different reason for the units not visiting Wyre. The personal messages I have received from women who's lives have been saved by a routine scan prove how important it is to visit ladies in the Wyre area on a regular basis.
It is a 32 mile round trip from Fleetwood to the Lytham screening centre and there is no direct public transport, Palatine is a 20 mile round trip and again no direct transport links. People are losing a days work instead of just nipping for a 10 min appointment.
When I started the group to raise awareness of the issues this would cause my main concern (which is sadly being proved correct ) was that ladies wouldn't attend. It is just far too difficult. It's a catch 22 situation. If appointments are kept the authorities will say it is working in its current situation but if ladies can't attend it could be read as Fleetwood ladies aren't interested (another excuse we were given is that too many appointments in Fleetwood were missed). Why can't the van rotate to different areas as it used to? It is after all a "mobile" unit.
It is a 32 mile round trip from Fleetwood to the Lytham screening centre and there is no direct public transport, Palatine is a 20 mile round trip and again no direct transport links. People are losing a days work instead of just nipping for a 10 min appointment.
When I started the group to raise awareness of the issues this would cause my main concern (which is sadly being proved correct ) was that ladies wouldn't attend. It is just far too difficult. It's a catch 22 situation. If appointments are kept the authorities will say it is working in its current situation but if ladies can't attend it could be read as Fleetwood ladies aren't interested (another excuse we were given is that too many appointments in Fleetwood were missed). Why can't the van rotate to different areas as it used to? It is after all a "mobile" unit.
