The UK was one of the first countries in the world to establish a national population based breast screening programme. There are six static screening centres in Scotland supported by nineteen mobile units. The first screening centres became operational in 1988 with national coverage being attained in 1991.

The UK National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP), a UK-wide programme of free mammographic screening for breast cancer, was introduced following a recommendation from a working party established by the four UK Departments of Health and chaired by Sir Patrick Forrest. The working party concluded that there was evidence that screening for breast cancer could reduce mortality by up to 30%.

Until recently, women aged 50-64 years were invited for a routine screen once every three years, and women aged over 64 years were screened three yearly on request. The age range for invitation has been extended to include women up to the age of 70 years (women over 70 years will continue to be screened on request). In Scotland, this expansion was phased in over one 3-year round of screening, beginning in 2003/04. The current screening method used in Scotland consists of two mammographic views at first screen and one view at subsequent screens.

Within Scotland (as part of the Scottish Breast Screening Programme) information and performance data are collected by each of the six screening centres and compiled by ISD on an annual basis. The NHSBSP Standards, which are a series of objectives under which minimum and target standards are specified, are the means by which this information is evaluated. The Scottish programme is also reviewed by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

 Statistical Publication Notice : Breast screening.

Key facts

At 31st March 2006:

• 76.4% of women aged 50-64 resident in Scotland had been screened at least once in the previous three years, compared with 74.6% at 31st March 2005.
  
  
• All NHS Boards met the minimum attendance standard of >70% of women invited during the previous three years.

In 2005-06:

• 10 of 11 NHSBSP standards (NHS Breast Screening Programme performance standards) were achieved.
  
  
• Uptake rates continued to rise, with 76.1% of all women invited for a routine appointment being screened and 77.4% of women aged 50-64.
  
  
• Over 166,000 women of all ages were screened within the programme.
  
  
• 1,348 cases of cancer were diagnosed in women of all ages, of which 849 were diagnosed in women aged 50-64.
  
  
• Over 8,800 women were recalled for further investigations.

Tables and charts

Breast screening statistics [45KB] up to 31st March 2006.

Breast cancer mortality [22KB]: trends in mortality since the start of the screening programme.

Deprivation [37KB]: percentage uptake by deprivation category, up to 31st March 2002.

Breast screening links

Breast cancer statistics : detailed incidence and mortality data, lifetime risk, prevalence and survival statistics.

NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) : general information and publications relating to breast screening in the UK.

Breast screening - National Overview (November 2003) [480KB] and Current status report (December 2006)  [1,302KB]: reports produced by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

BASO audit of screen detected breast cancers : an annual report comparing diagnosis, treatment and survival in each UK region against QA standards.

National Services Division (NSD) , which has responsibility for providing the Scottish Breast Screening Programme.

Breast screening explained [344KB] and Your breast screening appointment explained  [404KB]: leaflets produced by Health Scotland.

Ayrshire and Arran breast screening website : includes general information about the screening process.

 

Details of data sources.