Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you have a question please check the FAQs below. Click on the FAQ heading to view the whole text

If you still can't find the answer you're looking for then please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to try and help.


Offer support and information to women before, during and after attendance at an assessment clinic. The Jarvis Breast Centre Breast Care Nursing Team can be reached on 01483 307916
Confirms woman’s details (as per her appointment letter) and collates your paperwork ready for the radiographer, doctor or nurse.
Yes, we screen in a number of other locations. (Find out more about our screening locations gives alternative locations for your screening appointment). If these locations are not convenient for your place of work, please contact us
We do not have facilities for children and we are unable to accommodate dependents on our mobile vans or at the Jarvis Centre.
Because of the Coronavirus, we are asking ladies to attend their appointments by themselves. We do not have facilities for children and are unable to accommodate dependents on our mobile vans. We also do not allow men on the mobile vans unless they are acting as a carer or interpreter.
Yes, please complete the appointment request form to request a change to the date, time or location of your screening appointment.

For further information please contact us
Undertakes physical examination, ultrasound and Film Reading of Mammograms to determine if further tests are necessary.
Some women find mammography uncomfortable and some find it painful as the breasts have to be held firmly in position and pressed to take a good x-ray. If you do experience pain it usually only lasts as long as the mammogram although it may continue for some time in a small number of women.
No. Breast screening aims to find breast cancer at an early stage when it may be too small for you or your doctor to feel. Finding breast cancer early greatly increases your chances of successful treatment.
A mammogram takes a few minutes, however your whole visit to the screening unit may take about half an hour.
Once every three years your GP practice will be contacted and all women at the GP practice between the ages of 50 and 70 will be routinely invited. Not every woman will receive an appointment as soon as she is 50. You will receive your first appointment before your 53rd birthday. Note that it is essential you are registered with your GP practice.
Please contact us using the contact us page and we will be happy to discuss your screening appointment, as we would like to allocate more time for your appointment.

Your appointment will be made at our static unit at the Jarvis Centre in Guildford where we have larger rooms and disabled access.

If you have a physical disability then you will be offered an appointment at the Jarvis Breast Centre Guildford as the mobile units do not have the facilites to support your appointment.

Jarvis Breast Centre/Static site only has:
Disabled car parking facilities; Wheelchair access ramp; Disabled toilet facilities;
If you are over 71 and have not been screened for over 3 years, you are encouraged to continue with Breast Screening. Please contact the Jarvis Breast Centre on 0333 200 2062 to book an appointment.
Currently the breast screening programme is inviting women between the age of 50 and 71 years.
We respect your decision not to be screened, although we would encourage all women to attend for breast screening when invited. However if you choose not to take up your invitation please contact the screening office so your appointment is not wasted.
If you change your mind at any point in the future please contact us. We will be happy to make you another appointment. Please note that if you wish to opt out permanently you will be asked to sign a disclaimer.
If you have a breast lump or any other breast symptom you should see your GP, who may organise a referral to your local breast unit.
Please look at our home page, which has a link to an Easy Read leaflet or contact us at the Jarvis Centre on 0333 200 2062.
Your pacemaker may hide the small area of breast tissue behind the pacemaker, preventing it from being seen on the x-ray. The film readers will only be able to report on the breast tissue that they can see on your mammogram.
Yes because you still have breast tissue, which should be screened. There is no evidence to suggest breast implants are damaged by mammograms.

If you have been invited to one of the mobile vans then please contact us using the contact us page to discuss your screening appointment, as we would like to allocate a suitable time for your appointment.
Please contact the screening unit using the contact us page to establish if it is advisable for you to attend for the screening appointment.
Depending on the type of implants, some implants appear as a solid white area on a mammogram. This may hide some of the breast tissue preventing it from being seen on the x-ray. The film readers will only be able to report on the breast tissue that they can see on your mammogram. If you have implants please contact the screening unit on 0333 200 2062, at least 24 hours before you attend your appointment.
If you have had a breast cancer in the past and you are currently under the care of your breast team (follow-up), your breast team will arrange a mammogram for you. It is always best to attend the mammograms that your surgeon sends you for. If you are unsure of which appointment is best, please telephone the screening unit on 0333 200 2062.
If you have notified your GP practice of your new address or if you have changed your GP practice you will be invited for screening when your GP practice is invited. If this is likely to be over three years since your last invitation you will be invited separately from your practice to ensure you are screened on time.


If you have moved house and fear you may have missed a screening appointment please contact the screening unit using the contact us page and we will be happy to make you another appointment.
Yes, it is safe for you to have a mammogram. It is helpful if you can tell the mammographer where your pacemaker is sited.

Please contact the screening unit using the contact us page and we will be happy to make you another appointment..
Carries out the mammography on X-ray machines. Radiographers may also assist radiologists undertake ultrasound and other procedures. Please note that all our Radiographers are female.
A mammogram is an x-ray examination of the breasts and is a method of finding breast cancer at a very early stage. A female mammographer will compress your breasts, one at a time between two special x-ray plates and take the x-rays. The compression only lasts a few seconds and does not cause any harm to the breasts. Compression is needed to keep the breast still and to get the clearest picture with the lowest amount of radiation possible.
You will be asked to undress completely down to your waist so it is a good idea to wear a separate top instead of a dress.
You should continue to be breast aware learning what is normal for you and reporting any changes or concerns to your GP without delay. Do not wait until your next mammogram. Breast screening will pick up most but not all breast cancer.

Here is a helpful link: Breast Cancer Now
Your results will be sent to your home address and should be within 2 to 3 weeks. You will be advised of any expected delays at the time of your screening.
Your mammogram will be performed either at a mobile screening van or static screening unit within a building, at one of our local screening sites.
A female Mammographer will always perform the x-ray.
From time to time screening locations can change due to availability. If the site you have been called to is not convenient then request a change of appointment using the appointment request form.
From time to time changes to the screening plan results in women receiving an appointment slightly later or earlier than the normal 3 year interval.

Manage your appointment

If you have been asked to book an appointment or would like to change it, we will be very happy to arrange this for you.

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Where we screen.

We screen at various convenient places across the region.

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FAQs

For a selection of answers to frequently asked questions, please click here

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