Breast Screening (Mammography) in Coventry & Warwickshire

The Warwickshire, Solihull & Coventry Breast Screening Service is part of the National Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) and is one of the largest breast screening services in England, inviting around 55,000 women for screening each year.

We provide a free breast screening service for well women aged between 47 and 73, resident in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire.

 

About the Breast Screening Service

The Warwickshire, Solihull and Coventry Breast Screening Service is managed from its base at University Hospital (UHCW) in Coventry and has a screening population of 155,276 (50 to 71-year-old) women.

The service carries out screening at three static sites:

• University Hospital, Coventry (UHCW)
• George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton (GEH)
• City of Coventry Health Centre (CoCHC)

It also has access to 16 mobile sites. All assessments are carried out at UHCW and symptomatic services are provided by UHCW and GEH.

In line with the national screening programme women are invited once every three years. Women aged over 70 can self-refer every three years for as long as they wish to be screened.

FAQs

Pre-pandemic

• Women were invited to a timed appointment (including early, late and weekend clinics) with the option to change. Note that approximately 40% of women requested to change the appointment offered.
• If women failed to attend a further timed appointment would be offered within a three-month window.
• If they failed to attend the second appointment they were officially recorded as a non-attender and invited again in three years’ time (unless they aged over 70).

Following the pandemic

NHS England/NHS Improvement informed services that they were required to change their processes to help clear the backlog of women waiting to be screened.

This has resulted in a move to an open invitation system in line with the below:

• Women will receive an initial letter informing them that they are due to be screened (similar to cervical screening) and will be advised to contact the service to book an appointment.
• If they fail to respond within one month, a follow up letter will be sent.
• If they fail to contact the service, they will be classified as a non-attender and will be invited again in three years (unless they are over 70).

Of the patients who book an appointment themselves 97% attend.

Ahead of inviting patients for their screening, what contact does the service make with GP practices?

• The screening service contacted GP practices by phone to confirm current contact details and which GPs registered at the practice.
• Following the call, a GP Information Pack would be sent electronically (usually to the practice manager) via the dedicated NHS.net email provided. The pack included (numerical only, no PID provided):
• Details of the previous screening round, for example how many women were screened, those that did not attend and how many cancers detected;
• GP practice uptake rates and how many women would need to be screened to achieve the national standard, if below 70%.

If a patient misses her slot will she have to wait another three years? How does a patient book another appointment?

No. Patients receive two notifications that they are due to be screened. If no contact is made with the service to book an appointment the service will not automatically invite again until three years have passed.

Often women realise they have missed their screening and ring the service to request an appointment.

Women can call 024 7696 7200, email bss@uhcw.nhs.uk or visit www.bscreen.org.uk/Coventry.

When will we be notified of any non-attenders from our practices?

Moving forward, once all patients have been invited the service will provide GP practices with a full list of non-attenders.

The service will be working with a couple of PCN leads to develop this and will confirm a start date in due course.

Currently the service provides a paper copy of those patients who fail to attend. This information is distributed to GP practices daily.

My patient is due to attend for breast screening but has not heard anything. Who should they contact?

Women can call 024 7696 7200 to speak to one of the admin team, who will determine when they are due to be screened and advise when this is likely to be.

Patients are experiencing difficulties in contacting the service. What are the options for contacting the service?

We will always try to do our best to answer patients’ calls in a timely manner.

Alternatively, they can email bss@uhcw.nhs.uk or complete the contact us form via www.bscreen.org.uk/Coventry.

A voicemail service is also available on 024 7696 7200.

Why are patients not able to select a location that suits them?

Generally, they can. The screening programme is designed to move around to different locations. If we are not in a location that suits the patients, we would always offer an alternative.

A patient has recently had a mammogram. Are the results sent to the patient’s registered GP or to the practice’s senior partner?

Paper based results are sent to GP practice code/address rather than the registered GP.

When will we have digital access to the screening results for our patients?

This is nationally driven and has been highlighted as a priority for 2021. Further updates will be provided once we have received confirmation from the national team.

Should we notify the service if we form part of a GP practice merger?

Yes, as there will be an impact on the screening programme’s ability to manage this.

If you have an early indication of a GP Practice merger, please contact uhc-tr.bss@uhcw.nhs.uk.

Language Options (click below for options)

                                

About Breast Screening

The NHS Breast Screening Programme began in 1988. It aims to invite all women aged 50 – 70 years for breast screening once every three years.

The screening programme also offers women over 70 a free breast screen every three years. These women will not be sent an invitation but are encouraged to call the unit to make an appointment that suits them.

The aim of breast screening is to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage, often before the woman is aware of any problem.

Early detection may mean simpler and more successful treatment. Scientific evidence shows that regular breast screening, between the ages of 50 – 70 years, reduces the death rate from breast cancer. See the NHS Breast Screening Programme website for more details.

Extended Screening Age Range 47-73

In December 2007 the Department of Health’s Cancer Reform Strategy announced that the NHSBSP would be starting a trial to extended screening cover to women between the ages of 47 and 73.

The Warwickshire, Solihull & Coventry Breast Screening Service started phasing in this new age trial in January 2009 with full coverage by 2020. Around half of the women aged 47 to 49 and 71 to 73 years of age will be selected at random to receive screening invitations by 2020. If your GP practice has been screened since January 2015 and you are in this new age range but have not received an appointment and would like one, please contact the screening service.

To enable women to be screened closer to home, breast screening is carried out at a number of sites across the region.

Screening Appointments

If you are between 50 and 70 years old you will receive an appointment once every three years, inviting you to have a breast screening mammogram. You do not have to contact us to make an appointment, we will ensure that you receive your invitation at the appropriate time.

The screening programme also offers women over 70 a free breast screen every three years. Women over 70 will not be sent an invitation but are encouraged to call the unit to make an appointment that suits them.

If you would like to know whether you will be invited soon you can look at the screening schedule If it has been over three years since your last breast screening appointment then please contact us.We have a range of different locations where you can be screened and a range of appointment dates and times. We try to invite you to a screening clinic that is convenient for most women in your GP practice but we appreciate that this may not always suit you. Find out more about our screening locations.

When you receive your invitation letter you will see that we have already allocated you a specific screening location, appointment date and time. If you find this appointment inconvenient then please complete the appointment request form so we can arrange an alternative location, date or time.

Where we screen

Women living in Coventry, Solihull, Rugby, South Warwickshire and parts of North Warwickshire will be invited for screening at one of our mobile units, whilst women living in Nuneaton will be invited to the Breast Care Unit at George Eliot Hospital.

You will normally be invited to a location within the area of your GP’s surgery. If your invitation is not at a convenient location then please let us know and we can arrange an appointment at any convenient location where we are currently screening. Just complete the change your appointment form and we will rearrange it for you.

Our appointments are at five minute intervals. If you have been invited to a mobile unit and have mobility problems, including difficulty with steps, please contact the Screening Office.

Please note screening is strictly by appointment only.

• Atherstone Co-Op
• Bidford Fire Station
• City of Coventry Health Centre
• Co-Op Supermarket Balsall Common
• George Eliot Hospital
• Henley In Arden Medical Centre
• Hospital of St Cross Rugby
• Kenilworth Fire Station
• Leamington Spa Asda
• North Solihull Leisure Centre, Chelmsley Wood
• Shipston Medical Centre
• Solihull Hospital
• Southam Health Centre
• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Studley Village Hall
• University Hospital
• Warwick Tesco
• Wellesbourne Fire Station