Breast screening bus introduced to Plymouth after low take-up

A breast screening awareness bus has started touring Plymouth following a low take-up of appointments.

Latest figures for the city overall show the number of people coming forward has dropped by 8%, over 10 years until 2021/2022, to 72.5%, says charity the Primrose Foundation.

The bus will particularly focus on areas of the city where take-up has dropped as low as 54%, bosses say.

The double-decker was part funded by the charity, the NHS and campaigners.

A group of nine local women known as Dare 2, who all received a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment at Plymouth's Primrose Breast Care Centre, raised £12,000 towards the bus.

Fiona Osmaston, Dare 2 member and chair of the Primrose Foundation, said she owed her life to breast screening.

"My own cancer was picked up through routine screening.

"I didn't have any symptoms - no lumps, bumps, or orange peel skin.

"Without the diligence of the radiographers at the screening service at Plymouth Guildhall and those skilled colleagues who viewed the mammograms, my cancer would not have been picked up at such an early stage."

Dr Karen Paisley, director of breast screening at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said: "Screening saves about one life from breast cancer for every 200 women screened, as cancers are diagnosed and treated earlier than they would have been without screening...

"We are working hard locally to explore the reasons for non-attendance and to try and address these, ensure equity of access, improve uptake and, consequently, improve the mortality benefit of breast screening."

Madeleine Matthews, fundraising co-ordinator at the foundation, added: "With this bus, we are taking the all-important message right into the heart of our community.

"We hope the bright, eye-catching double-decker bus will grab people's attention and encourage them to use the breast screening services."

The bus will be used for the next 12 months.

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].