More than 11,000 women miss "vital" breast cancer screenings in Dorset
Women aged 50 to 71 are invited to have one every year
More than 11,000 women were not up to date with potentially life-saving breast screening in Dorset during the year leading up to the coronavirus pandemic, figures show.
Nationally, up to 12,000 women could be living with undiagnosed breast cancer having not been referred for screening tests, a charity is warning.
With Breast Cancer Awareness Month underway, experts are urging women across the UK to check for signs and symptoms of the disease and for those eligible to take up their invitations for routine screenings.
The NHS breast screening programme sees women aged between 50 and 71 invited every three years to undergo a mammogram (X-ray) designed to detect cancers that are too small to see or feel.
The latest available NHS Digital figures show that 78% of eligible women in Dorset were up to date with their screenings at the end of March 2020 – meaning roughly 11,768 were not.
It meant health services in the area achieved the national minimum target of 70% uptake but fell short of the 80% the NHS says all services should aim for.
The massive backlog in un-referred cases has been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic's disruption to the NHS, with screening services having been forced to close and fewer women being referred to specialists.
This combination means that almost 12,000 people could be living with breast cancer without knowing it.
The news comes weeks after a new study says it could take over a decade to clear the cancer treatment backlog in England.
Two years worth of appointments
Breast Cancer Now said that for NHS England to meet its March 2022 target of addressing the shortfall in people starting cancer treatment, an extra 10,000 people would need to have started treatment for breast cancer between May 2021 and March 2022.
With NHS staff already being stretched, breast screening teams are now trying to fit two years' worth of appointments into one year according to the Royal College of Radiologists.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “A year ago we reported with concern that almost one million women had potentially missed breast screening due to services being paused in the first wave of the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, despite our hardworking NHS staff, screening services running at reduced capacity means that now 1.5 million fewer women have been screened – a staggering 50% increase since services restarted.
“Women with breast cancer are continuing to pay the price due to the impact of the pandemic and, in the worst cases, delayed diagnoses could mean that some women die of this devastating disease.
“Quickly finding and treating those with undiagnosed breast cancer must be a priority, and governments across the UK must urgently ensure there is sufficient investment to do this – these women do not have time to wait.”
An NHS England spokeswoman said: “The pandemic has inevitably meant that some patient services have been disrupted, which is why the NHS in England is investing more than £70 million in additional funding for screening capacity, so people can get the checks they need.
“Extra weekend and evening clinics will help every woman who needs a screen to access one, and the NHS in England has also been offering open invitations to get screened, so if you’re invited for a screening appointment, please come forward and attend.”