By Isle of Wight Observer
Island MP Bob Seely is urging all women to undergo breast cancer screening following a worrying drop in those aged 50 to 70 attending the scan.
NHS figures for England show routine breast screening fell to 70.5% in 2017-18, down from 71.1% in 2016-17.
This means round 750,000 women across England who were invited to an appointment did not attend it.
“This screening programme remains a critical tool for early diagnosis of this most common of cancers, and this fall in women going to their appointments is very worrying,” said Bob.
“More women screened, means more women will survive this terrible disease. I urge anyone who has missed their appointment to make sure they get in touch and rearrange it.
“The south east, which includes the Island, is above the national English average at 71.3% but there can be no room for complacency as the target is for 80% of women to undergo screening. However, this is not being achieved anywhere in England.”
Under the NHS Breast Screening Programme, eligible women will usually receive their first routine invitation for breast cancer screening between the ages of 50 and 53 and will normally be invited every three years until their 71st birthday.
