Environ 48 à 50 % des femmes invitées participent au dépistage organisé.
Cela représente environ 2,4 à 2,6 millions de mammographies de dépistage organisées par an.
Si l’on ajoute les mammographies réalisées en dehors du programme (prescrites par un médecin en raison de symptômes, d’un risque élevé ou d’un suivi), le nombre total de mammographies effectuées chaque année est nettement plus élevé.
I agree it doesn’t beat the NHS screening rates, but does beat the NHS in5 yr survival rates. (85% v 75% ) Which given France has one of highest incidences of breast cancer in Europe this is a good thing.
I guess I have got completely accustomed to the French way of doing things so would hate to have things organised cor me, and not be in charge of or know my own medical details.
(Long time since had a mammogram in UK, so if this is now norm that’s good. Are ultrasounds also standard now? )
You always have to have a good hard look at health statistics because so many things can confound them, especially cancer statistics, not least making sure you are using current data.
The current UK overall survival for breast cancer is 85%
This is a bit worse than France where it is 89% but the gap is narrowing - we haven’t been 10% behind for a good few years.
Screening, of course, does not treat breast cancer. It merely offers an opportunity to pick it up at an earlier, more treatable stage - though the effectiveness of screening for breast (and indeed any) cancer is controversial.
Here on the Vendee (85) / Deux-Sevres 79 border there is often a 4 to 6 month delay for routine ‘depistage’ mammograms. However, if the matter is considered to be urgent then the MT can usually arrange something within a week.
Having said that, it does help to be willing to travel up to around 90 minutes each way. We like to make it a day out with lunch at a local restaurant or an afternoon by the sea depending upon the appointment time.
I’d try asking your neighbours. I am having an ultrasound on Thursday. Initially I googled the nearest places but a friend suggested checking a place on Ile d’Oléron. It’s a bit further away - 30 mins instead of 10 mins - but instead of waiting a couple of weeks I could book something within a couple of days.
I have been thinking on that trying to pinpoint what better means for me. And comparative statistics aren’t the at top of list. As you say, their reliability can be mute. But I certainly find the medical care I have had under the French system has been better no matter what statistics say.
Important issues are that docs are less constrained by budgets - I was immediately put on a drug that had been denied me in the UK. This is of course going to have to change here too but hopefully will be better balanced. Another is that I can change my GP or specialist more easily. Again the first one I saw here I hated so never saw him again. And choose when and where to have my bloods done rather than being told to go to a blood clinic in x hospital and queue.
The systems are so different that I have to rely on anecdote, and built up expectations. The French in general expect to be treated, not told to take a paracetamol and come back in a week if nothing has changed. One one hand this leads to over medication, but on the other they are diagnostic terriers. So a non red flag issue I had for some 15 years was eventually diagnosed and is no more. So for me that equals better.
Many SFers are in rural medical desserts which can skew things, but one telling thing to me is that some things are getting better not worse. So there are more practising docs per head of population than there were. And a system that is changing in a positive direction also equals good to me.
In an emergency I would choose the NHS every time. For anything else I’ll stick to France. .
I can only speak from my own experience. But in France we do get called for mammograms every 2 years and yes, you have to make the appointment. I did it through Doctorlib and did have to wait about 3 months to get an appointment locally, but , I could have chosen somewhere else 3 weeks later.
Had the mammogram, then immediately after had an ultrasound.
I was sent results and my x-rays in the post within a week with a full explanation of the type of breast tissue I have ( I never knew this and it is important)and a full report. Rather than just " negative".
So, is it better than the UK system? I think the UK is fine. But France does have some advantages.
I appreciate that it’s horses for courses but this is a plus point for me as I quite like having the control over my appointments.
In my case, it led to me having an MRI within about an hour of knowing it was necessary. I know that’s very much an edge case but you always have the ability to trade off time and distance by either waiting for who and where you want or travelling if your need is more pressing.
Like Jane, I can only speak from personal experience. And what I consider “better” won’t be there in the statistics. In recent years we have been in front of specialists and had screens more times than we care to mention and every time we have left the appointment with the results in a letter for our MT, copied to us. Blood tests are done first thing, results by 6pm same day. We have routine blood tests done annually, in specific circumstances every 1-3 months. They are used all the time for routine diagnosis.
I like the feeling of having control of my medical information. I’m not relying on being drip fed info by the profession. I have my data and if I want I can do my own research on what all the numbers and terminology mean - helpful if I don’t fully understand the French when they are talking to me.
Also, it may be an illusion, but in our local hospitals there is a feeling of abundance of nursing and support staff.
I also hear good stuff from friends about what’s happening in the UK. The minor injuries units seem to work well, keeping people out of A&E for the more serious cases.
Yes, this is wonderful… and my GP has assured me “if there is any cause for concern, I will phone you”.
He knows I scrutinize these things very closely and might throw a wobbly if a particular level is out of order…
As he says… leave it to the Expert (him) who will view the results as a whole as well as bit by bit.
and, yes, on occasion he has phoned to say… “you need blah blah.. I’ve emailed the prescription to your pharmacy, can someone pick it up for you or shall the pharmacy deliver it to you tonight/tomorrow …”
Now, I expect there are folk who have had bad experiences… all any of us can do is judge by how we personally find things… and I’m very happy here.
Personally I find the attitude of the NHS overbearing, when it comes to testing. I prefer to make my own appointments but once you get past 65 this is frowned on. Declining a test sends them into overdrive, you get bombarded with emails, txt and phone calls. I do prefer the French system that recognizes your an adult and treats you accordingly.
@JohnH
if you look at the Ameli link and put in your postal code, it should bring up a list and a map of where one can get a mammographie done… best of luck
Change the code postal and get another list of places…
Possibly not much chance at present, with the canicule everyone is busy, but later there shouldn’t be a problem and, after all, there’s no rush, is there ???
Once we’ve all cooled down… knowing where they are comes in handy, if I were to find myself within spitting distance, I’d pop in and speak directly
