A MOBILE breast screening unit has been launched in east Hull after figures reveal one in three women are failing to attend screening appointments.
It is hoped the unit will encourage more women in the east of the city to have checks, which can help detect early signs of breast cancer.
The unit is currently providing free routine breast screening at Woodford Leisure Centre in Holderness Road.
The unit will provide breast screening tests for women who are registered with selected east Hull GP practices until the end of November.
Helen Warren, superintendent radiographer with the Humberside Breast Screening Service, hopes the mobile unit will make it more convenient for women to attend their breast screening appointments.
She said: "Having spoken with many women from across the region, we are aware that one of the biggest factors affecting uptake of breast screening invitations is the location of the screening vans and how easy it is for women to get to them.
"Our local statistics show one in every four women under the care of a Hull or East Riding GP do not attend breast screening appointments when invited, and in east Hull specifically, this figure rises to one in three.
"Set in context, about one in eight women will develop breast cancer."
After a nine-month stint at Woodford, the unit will move on to provide women living in the Withernsea area with more convenient access to screening over the winter, and then on to Hedon from February.
Breast screening aims to save lives by finding abnormal changes in the breasts early – before they can be seen or felt through self-examination.
All women aged 50 to 70 are invited for screening every three years, along with a small percentage of women falling on either side this age range.
Over the next year, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust's breast screening service hopes to screen up to 16,500 women in the unit across the communities of East Hull, Hedon, Withernsea and surrounding areas.
It is estimated the NHS Breast Screening Programme saves 1,400 lives every year.
Mrs Warren said: "Women can sometimes worry about breast screening, particularly if it's their first appointment – what will happen, whether it will hurt and what the screening might find, but the process is quite simple and straightforward.
"Catching any changes in the breast early means we are much more likely to be able to ensure a positive, long-term outcome for our patients."
All women who are eligible for screening will receive a letter of invitation automatically, and those registered with participating practices in east Hull will be invited to attend the mobile unit at Woodford Leisure Centre until November. Women over 70 can request an appointment by calling the screening office on 01482 622600, or filling in a self-referral form at their GPs.
Email breast.screening@hey.nhs.uk for any inquiries .