Question reference: S6W-16004
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 17 March 2023
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 March 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has decided to end the provision of routine breast screening for women aged over 75, and, if so, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10348 on 29 August 2022, which outlines that the restart of self-referrals must be conducted in a careful, phased manner in order to understand and mitigate impacts on those for whom screening is recommended, and for whom it has the most benefits.
In November 2022, self-referrals for breast screening appointments were reinstated for those between 71 and 74, and anyone over 75 with a history of breast cancer.
The Scottish Government understands the wish some people have for this to be widened to include all those over the age of 75 without a history of breast cancer, but it is imperative to understand the impact this initial re-instatement is having on both programme capacity and overall wait times, before any further decisions regarding eligibility are taken. The current advice from the UK National Screening Committee is that breast screening should be provided to those age 50-70 years.
These impacts are being regularly reviewed, and an update will be provided to parliament once any decisions have been reached.