Skip to main content

About my test

What will happen during your appointment and what to do if you need to change your appointment.

How will I know about my appointment?

Where will I have my breast screening?

This will depend on where you live:

  • It might be at the Breast Screening Centre, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.
  • It might be at a mobile breast screening unit near to where you live.
Exterior of Scottish Breast Screening Programme (SBSP) mobile unit

What does the test involve?

The breast screening test involves taking pictures of your breasts using x-rays. 

This is called a mammogram.

The mammogram is looked at closely to see if anything looks different or unusual.

A Mammographer conducting a mammogram with a patient using a specialised X ray machine

Who does the test?

The test is done by a female health professional.

The professional is called a mammographer.

A female mammographer

How long will the test take?

The whole appointment will take about 30 minutes.

A clock showing 30 minutes has passed

What happens during the appointment?

Arriving for the appointment

When you arrive for your appointment, the female mammographer will check your details and explain the test to you.

A female mammographer

Questions?

You will be able to ask questions.

Brs Why Is Screening Important

What to wear

  • You should wear a loose fitting top as you will be asked to undress from waist up.
  • You can cover up when you’re not having the test done.
A woman with her back to the viewer chooses between two different tops

Things to avoid

Don’t use talcum powder or spray deodorant before the test.

A red circle with a line through it with icons of talcum powder and body spray

The mammogram

The mammogram (part 1)

The mammographer will X-ray one breast at a time.

She will position your breast between 2 special plates on the machine.

A Mammographer conducting a mammogram with a patient using a specialised X ray machine

The mammogram (part 2)

The mammographer will press each breast firmly between the plates for a few seconds.

She will take 2 pictures of each breast.

You should stay as still as possible while she takes the pictures.

A Mammographer conducting a mammogram with a patient using a specialised X ray machine

Stopping the test

You can ask to stop the test at any time.

A red outlined circle with a white fill, signifying an order, with a hand up, palm to the viewer with the text 'Stop'.

Making changes to your appointment

How to change your appointment

You can change your appointment by contacting your local screening centre.

If you live in Highland telephone the North of Scotland Breast Screening Service on: 01463 705416

If you live in Argyll and Bute telephone the West of Scotland Breast Screening Service on: 0141 800 8800

The telephone and email address is also on your appointment letter.

A letter and its original envelope from NHS Highland about breast screening appointment

When to phone about your appointment

You should contact the screening service when you get your appointment if you:

  • Would like to bring someone with you to the test (men are not allowed to enter mobile screening units).
  • Have a disability.
  • Need an interpreter or any other help.
  • Miss your appointment.

The contact details are on the appointment letter.

An icon of a traditional landline phone handset

Breast screening - what to expect at your appointment

This video produced by Public Health Scotland explains exactly what will  happen at your breast screening appointment.

360 tour of the Highland Breast Screening Centre, Raigmore Hospital

Previous or next page

Icon of a house

Back to the beginning

Let's go back to the beginning and look at:

Breast screening (Easy Read)
A graphic of a backward pointing arrow

Previous page

Let's go back and look at:

Why is breast screening important?
A graphic of a forward pointing arrow

Next page

Let's move on and look at:

Understanding my results

Last updated: 29 October 2024

Next review date: 31 January 2025