Petition for earlier breast screening reaches 100k

A Kent nurse has vowed to continue her campaign calling for the age of mammogram screenings to be lowered after a petition she launched received over 100,000 signatures.

Gemma Reeves, who works at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, said she will not "fully relax until there is policy change" around the age in which women are invited by the NHS for the screenings.

Her petition calls for the lowering of the screening age by ten years to 40 and to make invites annual, rather than every three years.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it is "taking decisive action to tackle breast cancer head-on", including launching AI trials to support analysis of mammograms.

Reeves said she launched her campaign after observing a "rapid increase" in the number of younger patients presenting to QEQM since the pandemic.

She believes diagnoses could be missed with the current policy.

"People just think when they turn 50 they are going to get an invite, but they may not until their 53rd birthday," she said.

Breast cancer is the main cause of death in women aged 35-49 years, support groups say.

Reeves's petition, which remains open until 9 April, has so far gained 102,984 signatures, meaning parliament will consider it for debate.

The chemotherapy nurse said that the initial "momentum" of the campaign dipped slightly around Christmas, before accelerating once again in 2026.

"People are either signing it [the petition] for themselves or someone they love," she said.

While the nurse says she is "exhausted" by campaigning efforts which have included an appearance on BBC's Woman's Hour, she says she is pleased with the progress being made.

Earlier this year Reeves brought the campaign to East Thanet MP Polly Billington, who raised it at PMQs last month.

Billington said: "Gemma's petition has struck a chord with women across the country who want to see stronger action on breast cancer.

"The government is prioritising prevention in its National Cancer Plan, and we know early diagnosis is crucial to improving survival rates.

"I look forward to the petition being debated in parliament and using that opportunity to press health ministers on this vital issue."

The DHSC spokesperson added: "Decisions regarding screening for breast cancer are made based on the best available evidence, with the independent UK National Screening Committee keeping all programmes under careful review."

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