
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ON THE DAY
Here’s a guide to what happens on the day.
Before your appointment
Think about what makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. It could be anything from your favourite jumper, album or the perfect cup of tea. Once you know, have a think about how we can incorporate this into your visit.
If you have a favourite item of clothing, it’s a great idea to wear it to your appointment. You can also bring your own music and headphones and listen to whatever you like during your appointment.
Just to let you know, although the MBB Clinic is staffed only by women, there could be male members of staff working elsewhere in the building, so you might see them on the day.
If you can, you might find it less stressful to leave plenty of time for finding us. If you’re early, you can relax in our waiting area.
When you arrive
When you arrive, you’ll be met by our receptionist, who will check some details with you. There’ll be a welcoming space for you to sit down with a drink and have a chat with our counsellor about what would make you most comfortable. For example, some people don’t want their clinician to use particular phrases, touch them on certain areas of their body or ask certain questions – we’ll make sure all these needs are met.
Likewise, there may be certain things you do want, like the clinician telling you exactly what she’s doing throughout the process, to stop what she’s doing if you make a certain sign or to take a break at any time. It’s also perfectly okay to feel emotional – we understand that, and you don’t have to apologise for it. The opposite is true too. Some prefer to cut off completely during the session, and that’s absolutely fine. We’ll also discuss relaxation methods and breathing techniques; our clinic is about tailoring things so they’re right for you.
You’ll then meet our clinical team, and our counsellor can stay with you throughout your appointment, if that’s what you want.
After your appointment
You’re welcome to stay in our waiting area and we are happy to keep you company (or leave you in peace) until you feel ready to go.
If you need to book another session with us, we’ll do that for you – you won’t have to wait for an appointment to come up online. If you have your test with us, we’ll process the results and send them on to your GP. They’ll then know you’ve had your smear taken, so they can stop sending you letters about it.
After attending your appointment, please do something nice for yourself! We know it can difficult to even book a cervical screening, so please be proud of yourself for booking, attending and looking after yourself in the way you deserve.
We look forward to seeing you soon.