The East Lancashire NHS Breast Screening Service is bringing its state of the art mobile unit to Rawtenstall in January in the fight against breast cancer.
The mobile unit features a large waiting room, two screening rooms fitted with the latest screening technology, four changing cubicles and a private interview area.
All women aged 50 up to their 71st birthday who are registered with a GP at Ilex View Medical Practice, Fairmore Medical Practice and St James Medical Centre will receive a personal appointment to visit the Mobile Unit located at Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre (Bacup Road, Rawtenstall).
Elizabeth Read, Breast Imaging Manager at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “All eligible women who are registered with a Rawtenstall GP with automatically get an appointment to attend the mobile unit.
“NHS breast screening is free, fast and, thanks to the addition of the mobile unit with the latest equipment and a high level of comfort, more convenient than ever.”
Over 75,000 women in East Lancashire are invited for breast screening once every three years, with the choice of being screened on the new mobile unit, or a visit to the Breast Screening Service, based at Burnley General Teaching Hospital.
“Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in Lancashire, but it is also one of the most treatable, particularly when detected early,” added Elizabeth Read.
“If breast cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, it is estimated that after five years, 99 out of 100 women diagnosed will be alive, so it’s very important for women to be screened regularly and breast cancer detected early.”
Among its latest innovations the new mobile unit features the latest full field digital mammography equipment which offers enhanced workflow with optimal ergonomics for both staff and women.
Each year over 20,000 women visit the NHS East Lancashire Breast Screening Mobile Unit.
“We advise women to carefully consider the offer to attend for a breast screening mammogram,” added Elizabeth Read.
“One in eight UK women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and early detection is very important.
“Breast screening does not prevent you from getting breast cancer but it does find cancers at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be successful and women are more likely to survive.”
For more information about screening in East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen, visit the https://elht.nhs.uk/services/breast-imaging-screening-service webpage