Women urged to book breast screening appointments

Women in the South West are being urged to make and keep breast screening appointments.

The NHS said its first ever awareness campaign about such screenings had come as annual data showed 27% of eligible women were not up to date with regular mammograms. Also, more than one in 10 (12%) of those eligible had never been screened, health bosses said.

Women between 50 and 71 are eligible for free breast screening every three years.

Health bosses added that breast cancer was much more treatable when caught early, and screening also prevented an estimated 1,300 deaths nationally a year, often identifying cancer before women felt changes or noticed symptoms themselves.

Despite the benefits of screening, only 61% of women in the South West took up the offer of free breast screening when first invited, the NHS said.

It said a recent survey of 2,000 women it carried out also revealed that about 9% said embarrassment would stop them attending an appointment, while not having any symptoms, such as a lump, would prevent nearly 18%.

Kayleigh Davenport, a screening nurse at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said: "It's completely normal to be nervous or feel embarrassed about your breast screening appointment.

"But your screening team is there to help and to make the experience as easy and comfortable as possible for you."

Dr Michael Marsh, medical director for NHS England South West, said: "We know that cancer survival rates are at an all-time high thanks to this focus on early detection.

"We want to continue to save more lives by ensuring as many women as possible have access to screening and can be diagnosed at the earliest stage."

NHS South West covers Wiltshire, West Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Devon and Dorset.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].