Half of the population are women. And this is a call to enable women to get screening for breast cancer as easily as possible, in an accessible and as central location as possible for the duration of the multi-month visit of the NHS Mobile Mammogram unit to Marlborough. The next visit is due to commence imminently.
The greater the number of screenings the greater will be the success in identifying any possible cancer at the earliest stage and then dealing with it, to a positive outcome. This saves lives. At present the Mobile Mammogram unit is sited in Marlborough for several months every three years. For the past few visits it has been driven into the loading bay and waste disposal yard of Savernake Hospital. Where there is plenty of traffic delivering supplies, removing waste, and in the saddest of circumstances, where funeral directors remove the bodies of recently deceased patients.
No criticism of Savernake Hospital, far from it, but is this an ideal and appropriate location? Parking is an acute issue at Savernake. For staff, patients and visitors – not to mention the residents of Maurice Way, those who live adjacent to Savernake Hospital. Parking should be the priority for these groups, not those visiting for breast screening as there are better, more appropriate and alternative locations in Marlborough. If trying to avoid parking – or a non driver – when visiting for a screening, it’s a long walk up the hill and buses, whilst regular, aren’t that frequent.
A central Marlborough location would address all of these issues.
Two immediate possible locations: adjacent to the Leisure Centre, or in George Lane Car Park, adjacent to where the coach bays are. Rarely (if ever?) are all four bays used at the same time, even if one bay was reused for the Mobile Mammogram this would not cause any issue for visitors but would enable women to get screened easily, and hopefully, successfully.
There is space adjacent to the Leisure Centre, and we understand that Wiltshire Council were quite happy for the unit to be sited there.
So why not? Surely the focus and reason for the Mobile Mammogram unit is facilitate easy and accessible screening, at all times? Not criticism of Savernake Hospital, but that is not a central town location, parking is a real issue there and priority should be given to patients, staff, visitors, and of course, those iving near to the hospital.
Marlborough’s Wiltshire Councillors (Marlborough West) Jane Davies and Kym-Marie Cleasby (East) gave their opinions to Marlborough.news:
Jane Davies: “Breast screening is a really important service and I encourage everyone invited to attend to go along. It’s unfortunate that Savernake is a confined site and parking sometimes difficult. With the benefit of hindsight, when hospital land was sold for housing it would have been better for the NHS to retain more space for parking. The alternative sites suggested also have issues either in restricting access to Council services or lost income (Council car park income subsidies rural bus services in Wiltshire) therefore I have asked senior officers whether it is possible for Wiltshire Council to provide space for the Breast Screening unit without unforeseen but significant consequences for residents.”
Kym-Marie Cleasby: “Breast screening is a vital service and it is essential that local women continue to have access to it in Marlborough. At the same time, we must ensure that the location of the mobile mammogram unit provides the best possible experience for patients, preserving their dignity, safety and ease of access, while also taking into account the impact on other hospital users and local residents. I welcome the community discussion that is taking place and support efforts to explore all suitable options so that a long-term solution can be found which meets the needs of everyone involved. I would encourage residents to engage with the consultation and share their views constructively.”
The stumbling block here appears to be in the bureaucracy of the NHS. Bureaucracies inevitably delay, prevaricate, defend and are inherently averse to change, even of a small issue such as the siting, in Marlborough for four months every three years of the vital Mobile Mammogram Breast Screening unit. Getting those numerous ‘silos’ to address and manage any issue, when such an issue involves more than one, and is as simple and straightforward as this can become a monumentally difficult, complicated and arduous task that would even flummox ‘Sir Humphrey’ (of ‘Yes Minister’ fame).
To roll away that stone, or stumbling block, on Wednesday 2nd September, at 7:15pm at The Leisure Centre there will be a meeting for this to be discussed. Members of the NHS ‘groups’ involved and Councillors have been invited, residents – certainly those living adjacent to Savernake Hospital will be present. All are welcome as this will be a key meeting and could create the impetus to allow more effective and locally accessible screening for breast cancer for the women of Marlborough and the surrounding areas.
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