Page last updated: 31-JUL-2007

Breast Screening


Statistical Publication Notice

31 July 2007

Nat_stat_1

Scottish Breast Screening Programme Statistics 2005/2006   


INTRODUCTION

The Scottish Breast Screening Programme is part of a UK-wide programme of free mammographic screening for breast cancer, which was set up in 1988 with the aim of reducing mortality.
 
Until recently, women aged 50-64 years were invited for a routine screen once every three years. The age range for invitation has now been extended to include women up to the age of 70 years.
 
Within Scotland (as part of the Scottish Breast Screening Programme) information and performance data are 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 current release includes data to 31 March 2006.
 

KEY POINTS

 
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 meet 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.
 

DETAILED FINDINGS

 
Ten of the eleven NHSBSP standards (NHS Breast Screening Programme performance standards) are being achieved including uptake, cancer detection and early recall rates. However, the rate of recall for assessment for women screened in response to their first invitation, at 10.4%, narrowly fails to meet the standard (below 10%). This rate indicates the number of women with an abnormal screening result who are sent for further investigation, many of whom are not subsequently diagnosed with cancer.
 
The uptake of breast screening continues to rise. The minimum standard of >70% was met, with 77.4% of women aged 50-64 invited for a routine appointment being screened.
 
Over 166,000 women of all ages were screened within the programme. This compares to over 155,500 in 2004-05 and over 142,800 in 2003-04. This increase over the past 3 years is due to a phased extension of the age range for routine invitation (from 50-64 to 50-70 years), which started in 2003 and is now complete.

The number of cancers diagnosed amongst women aged 50-64 years has increased by 53.5% since 1994-95 (from 553 in 1994-95 to 849 in 2005-06).
 
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MAIN CONTACTS:

Judith Stark
Senior Information Analyst
TEL: 0131 275 7562
E mail: Judith.Stark@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

 
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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

National Services Division
NHS National Services Scotland
Chief Executives of the Scottish NHS Healthboards
Scottish Executive Health Department
 

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HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published:  27 July 2006
Next Due:  July 2008
Data Available Since: 1991


Main contact: Email Judith Stark