Breast Screening (Hansard, 26 October 1998)

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice the National Screening Committee has given regarding the extension of the breast cancer screening programme to women aged 65 years and over; and if he will make a statement. [55791]

§ Mr. Boateng
The National Screening Committee considered the possible extension of the breast screening programme to women over the age of 65 on 22 July 1998. Their view was that the first priority must be to ensure that the existing programme can maintain a three year screening for all women.
The Committee acknowledged the promising nature of the interim results of the pilot studies for extending the screening programme to older women, and the evidence in favour of the introduction of two views at all screens. The Committee also recognised that any national roll-out of these extensions would require additional staff in an area where recruitment is becoming less easy.
In anticipation that the final results of the three pilot studies bear out the interim results, the Committee recommended that new arrangements need to be identified to address the workforce pressures on the breast screening programme. Discussions are being held with the relevant professional bodies and those involved in the screening programme to identify solutions to meet these pressures.

§ Mr. Collins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets are in place for the maximum period between performance of a radiogram and discussion of the result with the patient affected; and if he will make a statement. [56476]

§ Mr. Boateng
Women aged 50 to 64 are invited for mammograms routinely every three years as part of the breast screening programme. National Health Service Breast Screening Programme guidance states that women should receive their results within two weeks. Where further investigation is necessary, women should be invited to attend a breast screening assessment centre within three weeks of the mammogram being performed.
Mammograms are also taken as part of the diagnosis of cancer in women with suspected breast cancer. The evidence based guidance Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer published in July 1996 recommends that the results of the tests should be given to the patient within five working days.
The Government recognise the high levels of anxiety that patients can experience when waiting for diagnosis and treatment of cancer and have made available £10 million to ensure prompt access to diagnosis and high quality care for those with breast cancer. This has been used to support over 300 projects across the country, including the introduction of 'one-stop' breast clinics where women can undergo all necessary tests (including mammograms) for diagnosis of cancer at one visit and receive their results in line with published guidance.