Static mammogram unit boosting screening numbers

A new static site for breast screening in West Sussex has led to greater attendance among eligible women, with uptake improving across the region more broadly.

NHS breast screening is offered to women aged from 50 and up to their 71st birthday, including at the site which opened at Crawley Hospital in January.

According to the West Sussex screening service, which covers the county and parts of Surrey, 2,217 of the 2,769 people invited for a mammogram since then have attended.

This represents an 80% uptake, which compares favourably with the 70% seen nationally.

Dr Olga Strukowska, consultant radiologist and director of West Sussex screening service, believes this is largely down to local engagement which "we have been doing it for quite some time".

Prior to this new static site opening in Crawley screenings took place solely in mobile units.

Rebecca Corbett, quality and improvement manager for West Sussex Brighton and Hove breast screening service, said this resulted in those who struggled to access those units having to go to Worthing Hospital.

For women from places such as Crawley, Horsham and East Grinstead, this was a "considerably long way" to travel, she said.

"We recognised that we weren't offering an equitable screening service, so we looked at what we could do. We thought a hybrid version of offering static sites and mobile units would achieve that."

According to data from NHS England Digital 347,407 women in the South East were screened in 2024–2025, up almost 19,000 on the 328,405 who were seen the previous year.

Dr Strukowska says she is hoping this positive pattern continues.

"The earlier you come, and we are able to pick something up on the mammogram. the more [will be] diagnosed with a very early stage cancer which is easier to treat."

According to charity Breast Cancer Now, 1,300 deaths are prevented each year because of early detection and intervention following a mammogram.

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