The project aims to improve breast screening uptake among women in some of the hardest to reach areas of Liverpool.
The mobile breast screening unit officially launched on January 23 (Image: Liverpool Echo)
A new state of the art mobile unit has been launched to improve breast screening uptake among women in some of the hardest to reach areas of Liverpool. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK and early detection dramatically improves survival rates close to 100%, which highlights the importance of regular screening.
Currently, women in Liverpool are offered breast screening services at Broadgreen Hospital, which isn’t accessible by a direct bus route when travelling from the north and central parts of the city. Central and North Liverpool have some of the lowest screening uptake rates in the country, falling below the national benchmark of 70–80%.
By delivering services directly within local communities, this approach aims to reduce barriers that can prevent women from attending screening appointments.
The project has been led by NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, which has introduced a state-of-the-art Mobile Breast Screening Unit to deliver breast screening services in the heart of the city, making it easier to access screening and improving health outcomes of local women.
NHS staff with Director of Breast Screening, Anu Shrotri and Leanne Campbell at the opening of the mobile breast screening unit (Image: Liverpool Echo)
The mobile unit had its first patients on January 12 and will initially be based in the car park of Goodison Park, now the home of Everton Women. Its location will rotate across the north end and central parts of the city and new locations will be identified in the future.
The unit will accommodate up to 50 breast screenings per day and will operate between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, by appointment only.
Although the initial focus will be on breast screening in different parts of the city, the multifunctional unit will also cater for other health screening services in the future such as Maternity and Diabetic Eye where uptake is historically low among women.
Dr Anu Shrotri, Director of Breast Screening said: “For many women in our city, giving up half a day to travel across the city to attend a breast screening appointment simply isn’t an option. By offering accessible services closer to home we hope to increase uptake and early detection of breast cancer and ultimately save lives.”
Natalie Hudson, Executive Managing Director for the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which manages breast services for UHL Group, said: “To better meet the needs of the populations we serve, we are working hard to improve how we deliver some of our services and how we tackle preventable ill-health in the future.
“By bringing these services directly into our local communities with innovations such as the mobile breast screening unit, we hope to see improved outcomes and reduced inequalities across the city.”