A record number of women are up to date with their breast
screening yet almost a third of invitees did not attend last
year, according to NHS figures published today.
The NHS England annual data shows the
number of women who are up to date with their screening (screened
within the last three years) has increased to the highest on
record (4.61m).
However nearly three-quarters of a million women (748,233) still
didn't attend a screening appointment in 23/24, with almost one
in four first-time invitees not acting on their invite.
It comes as the NHS launched its first-ever national campaign to
support more women to attend breast screening earlier this week,
to help detect thousands more cancers earlier and save lives.
The campaign – supported by leading charity Breast Cancer Now –
launched with a new advert across TV, radio and online to
highlight that screening can detect any cancers as early as
possible, while providing reassurance and relief to millions of
women who get the all-clear.
The landmark NHS campaign sees celebrities including Newsnight
anchor Victoria Derbyshire, broadcaster and presenter Julia
Bradbury, and Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas write
‘unofficial' invitation letters to women about their personal
experiences of screening to reassure them and encourage them to
attend. They are joined by fellow cancer survivors, NHS
staff and TV doctors in sharing open letters to
women invited for screening in a number of moving films.
The new annual data today shows breast screening uptake among
those invited in 2023-24 also improved to 70.0% – an increase
from 64.6% in 2022-23 – the first time the NHS has hit its
acceptable target for breast screening uptake since before the
pandemic.
While the number of women up to date with breast screening in
England is at its highest, the proportion of eligible women being
screened is still slightly lower than pre-pandemic (74.6% in
2019).
Two and a half million women were invited to book a check-up in
the last year, with 1.75 million attending the screening. Thirty
per cent of women did not attend their screening appointments
following an invitation, increasing to 37.5% of women who were
being invited for the first time.
Across England in 2023-24, almost 70,000 women (68,664) were
referred for further checks following screening, and as a result
16,677 women had a cancer detected, which may not have been
diagnosed and treated until a later stage. Of the 16,677
diagnosed cancers, 79.1% were invasive.
NHS estimates suggest that if screening attendance could be
improved to 80% of those eligible next year (2025/26), nearly a
million more women (around 925,000) could be screened, compared
to 2022/23 – with over 7,500 additional breast cancers detected
at an earlier stage, when they are more treatable.
NHS national cancer director Dame Cally Palmer
said: “The NHS is catching more cancers than ever
before at an earlier stage, when treatment has the best chance of
success, and increasing uptake of breast screening is absolutely
vital in helping us achieve that.
“We know there are a range of reasons why some women don't
respond to breast screening invitations, which is why our newly
launched campaign directly communicates the enormous benefits of
attending screening - including offering peace of mind by giving
you knowledge of your own health - to women.”
NHS Director of Screening Michelle Kane
said: “It's really encouraging that more women took
up their invitation to breast screening compared with last year,
but there is still much more to do to reach more eligible women
and encourage them to come forward.
“This is why the NHS has launched its first ever national breast
screening campaign, which aims to address any misgivings and
misconceptions women may have about breast screening.
“If more women come forward, we can catch thousands of cancers
earlier when they are more treatable and ultimately save lives.”
Women registered with a GP are 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 – while
women aged 71 and over can self-refer for screening.
Breast screening does have some risks. Some women who have
screening will be diagnosed and treated for slow-growing breast
cancers that may never otherwise have been found or caused them
harm. Mammograms also do not always find a cancer that is there,
but most people feel the benefits of breast screening outweigh
the possible risks.
