New state-of-the-art digital equipment will be used to screen women in Wales for breast cancer, Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced.
The £10million Welsh Assembly Government-funded plan will see analogue machines replaced by the digital equipment in the mobile Breast Test Wales units and breast assessment centres.
Breast Test Wales offers breast screening to all women in Wales aged between 50 and 70 every three years. Breast Test Wales has the highest cancer detection rate in the UK.
Where signs of an abnormality are found, women are referred to the centres for further assessment. More than 100,000 women are screened for breast cancer every year in Wales.
The new equipment will enable faster and better processing and analysis of images and easier comparison with previous tests. It will also reduce the need of women to be recalled for tests as radiographers will be able to see if the scans are of the necessary quality to enable clinical determination.
Edwina Hart said:
“Investment in prevention and early detection is crucial to improving the outcome for patients.
“Last year, the Assembly Government provided £1million to replace the mobile units themselves, so they could house this new equipment.
“I also officially opened the new centre of excellence for breast care services at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, which received more than £6million Assembly Government funding.
“This investment and new equipment will help to meet the growing demand placed on the NHS.
“Early detection and diagnosis ensure better outcomes for patients and therefore it is essential that all women attend their screening when invited.”
Professor Sir Mansel Aylward CB, Chair of Public Health Wales said:
“I am delighted that the Welsh Assembly Government has agreed to invest in new equipment for screening. This puts the Breast Test Wales in an excellent position to continue to deliver an efficient and modern screening programme, maximising benefits from new technological developments.”
