The NHS in London is launching an awareness campaign to encourage more women to attend potentially life-saving breast screening appointments, as national figures show more than four in ten women (46.3%) invited for the first time don’t act on their invitation.
Around 400,000 women are invited for breast screening in London every year and following a decline in screening rates as a result of the pandemic, attendance has increased by 10% (55.4 to 64.8%) over the last two years,
Despite this strong recovery, one in three women in London still do not attend their breast screening appointment and the latest figures show London has the lowest breast screening uptake rates in the country (64.5% vs 70.4%).
There are significant inequalities in screening uptake, with women from minoritised groups, those who live in deprived areas and those who do not speak English as a first language less likely to attend.
Isabella, a senior radiographer specialising in breast imaging (mammographer) for the NHS in London said: “I’ve seen first-hand how life-saving breast screening can be, but a lot of women don’t know what to expect when they come for their first breast screening appointment.
“It’s only natural to feel a bit anxious – but the service is run by all-female mammographers who do this countless times and are trained to help people feel more at ease.
“The whole process takes just a few minutes and most women feel relieved and reassured to have got it done. If breast cancer is found, detecting it early can be lifesaving. But more likely, your screening results will be clear and it will put your mind at rest.”
More than 2,000 women in London have breast cancer detected through screening every year and most of these cancers are detected early when they are easier to treat.
Cancer screening lead for the NHS in London Jo Ruwende said: “Increasing the number of women who are screened for breast cancer would help identify more cases of cancer earlier and could save many lives. There are lots of reasons women may not attend breast screening and we are hoping to reassure and encourage them to attend their screening appointment – we want to screen thousands more women so we can spot signs of breast cancer as early as possible and save lives.”
The latest national figures show that if 80% of women invited for breast cancer screening took up the offer, almost a million more could be screened, and more than 44,000 cancers could be detected, an additional 7,600.
The latest campaign comes as a survey of 2,000 women showed that almost 40% rarely or never talk about breast screening with their female friends and families, and almost a quarter (24%) of women said they wouldn’t attend if they didn’t already have symptoms such as a lump.
Women registered with a GP will be automatically invited for NHS breast screening for the first time between the ages of 50 and 53, then every three years until their 71st birthday. women aged 71 and over can self-refer for screening.
The NHS is diagnosing more people than ever before with early stage cancer, when it is more treatable. Latest monthly figures show the NHS met the cancer faster diagnosis standard again, with 77% of people getting the all clear or a cancer diagnosis within four weeks.
If you live in London and need to change your appointment or missed your last one, call 020 3758 2024 or visit Breastscreening
