New figures out today show that, despite a slight increase in uptake in the last year, over a third of women still did not attend their NHS breast screening appointment.
In 2022-23, a total of 1.93 million women aged 50 to 70 (64.6%) attended screening appointments (within six months of invitation) out of the 2.98 million invited to book a check-up – an increase in uptake on 2021-22 (62.3%).
However, 35.4% of women did not attend their appointments following an invitation, increasing to 46.3% of women who were being invited for the first time.
The screening programme led to cancers being detected in 18,942 women across England in 2022-23, which otherwise may not have been diagnosed and treated until a later stage.
NHS England is calling for women to put their health at the top of their to-do list and come forward for breast screening when invited
The NHS Breast Screening Programme, England 2022-23 report also found that uptake was highest in the South East at 68.0% and lowest in London at 55.4%.
Read the full story here: NHS England » New breast screening figures prompt fresh uptake appeal