Experiences of being recalled in the NHS Breast Screening Programme
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding women’s experiences of being recalled for more tests after an inconclusive screening in the NHS Breast Screening Programme
IRAS ID
265372
Contact name
David French
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 16 days
Research summary
Each year in England, over 70,000 women who go for breast screening are called back for more tests because their screening was inconclusive, but these extra tests show that they do not have cancer. This group of women are said to have had a false positive test result.
The extra tests are often painful and invasive, and waiting for and receiving the results is stressful for women. Women experience worry and anxiety when they have a false positive test result. This worry can last up until the next routine breast screening appointment (three years later) and it may be influencing women’s attendance at future screening. The more invasive tests (e.g. needle biopsy) used when women are called back have been linked to more worry and less chance of women coming back for screening in future. However, this experience and any psychological impact are not well understood and more research is needed.
The aim of this qualitative study is to better understand women’s experiences of receiving a false positive test result. We will conduct interviews with women who have received this result and also with healthcare professionals in the NHS breast screening programme (e.g. breast radiologists, breast radiographers, clinical breast care nurses and healthcare assistants) who provide care for women with these results. We will recruit participants from two NHS breast screening units. The study is part of Hannah Long’s PhD studentship and is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SW/0160
Date of REC Opinion
23 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion