Record number of women up to date with breast screening, figures show

The number of women in England who are up to date with breast screening is the highest on record, according to new figures.

Coverage is also at its highest percentage in the last four years.

Annual data from NHS England shows 4.61 million women are up to date with screening.

Women are automatically invited for breast screening between the ages of 50 and 53, and then every three years until the age of 71.

During the appointment, which usually takes about 30 minutes, two X-rays, known as mammograms, will be taken of each breast.

The coverage of eligible women screened in the last three years was 70% in 2023/24, the highest since 2020.

Annual uptake was also 70%, up from 64.6% in the previous 12 months and the highest since 2019.

Some 2.5 million women were invited to book an appointment last year, and 1.75 million attended.

However, according to the NHS, 748,233 women did not attend, and almost one in four women invited for the first time did not take up an appointment.

Michelle Kane, director of screening at NHS England, 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.”

Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, added: “Breast screening uptake has met the minimum 70% standard for the first time in five years thanks to the tireless work of NHS breast screening staff.

“Their success in beginning to reverse years of declining attendance should be celebrated; however, with today’s data confirming that there is still significant work to do to save more lives from breast cancer through screening, it’s vital we now build on this progress.”

The figures follow the launch of a campaign encouraging women to attend their screening appointments.

It has been backed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas and broadcasters Julia Bradbury and Victoria Derbyshire.

Dame Cally Palmer, NHS England’s national cancer director, added: “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.”

Published: 18/02/2025 by Radio NewsHub