South West London Breast Screening

07/10/2026

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month 💗 — a perfect reminder to make your breast health a priority. If you’re invited for breast screening, please don’t put it off. Screening can detect breast cancer early, sometimes before you notice any changes yourself, when treatment is often more successful. Take the time to attend — it could make a life-changing difference. 💕

24/09/2026

We are always working to overcome barriers to breast cancer screening

🌸Only 49% of black African women who are invited to breast screening go to their appointment, compared to 67% of white women and 63% of black Caribbean women.

🌸We don’t know what stops black African women from going to their breast screening appointments.

🌸The charity Breast Cancer Now and Dr Mel Cooper are investigating ways to encourage black African women to go to their NHS breast screening appointments.


Mel has 3 key aims:
🌸To understand what stops women from going to breast screening appointments
🌸To work with black African women to develop a program that could increase attendance at breast screening
🌸To test this program and improve it in response to feedback

🌸What difference will this project make?

🌸Mel’s research could help more black African women in the UK to go to their screening appointments. And that could lead to earlier diagnoses, and more chance of black African women surviving the disease.

🌸In the short term, it could help the women involved in the study, and their family and friends. Our researchers hope their findings and recommendations will also help more healthcare professionals to better support and encourage black African women to go to screening .

🌸 In the long term, it could change attitudes within the black African community towards breast screening.
How many people could this project help?

🌸Mel’s research could help more black African women in the UK to go to their screening appointments. And that could lead to earlier diagnoses, and more chance of black African women surviving the disease

08/09/2026

🌸Breast screening plays an important role in detecting breast cancer early, often before symptoms appear.

📮London NHS Breast Screening Programme service has started sending invitation letters digitally, using secure text or email.

📧If your mobile number or email address has changed, please update it with your GP.

📫If you’re sent a digital letter, you’ll receive a text or email titled

💬Your letter for NHS Breast Screening✅

with a secure link to view your letter online.

📮Paper letters will still be sent if digital messages aren’t accessed, or if you prefer post.

Visit the London Breast Screening website to find out more

https://www.london-breastscreening.org.uk/South-West-London .tab=0

03/09/2026

🎒 The kids are back at school and uni now it’s time to look after YOU! 💗

🌸If you didn’t make your appointment call the number on your letter and we can rebook you !

🎀 Breast screening can help detect breast cancer early, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

So, while you’re getting everyone else back into their routine, make time for yourself too.

Your health matters. Don’t put it off. 💗

01/09/2026

Why do Automatic Invites Stop at 70?

The good news is ..

✅You Can Still Get Screened

Stopping routine automatic invitations does not mean you cannot have a mammogram.

✅Your Right to Test:

If you are 71 or older, you still have the right to a free breast screening every 3 years.

✅How to Book:

Automatic invites stop, but you can call your local breast screening unit to arrange an appointment.

✅Check for Symptoms:

If you notice any unusual breast changes or symptoms at any age, do not wait for a screening invite—contact your GP immediately.

The reasons invites stop are ..

🌸Overdiagnosis Risk:
As women age, screening is more likely to detect very slow-growing cancers (called overdiagnosis) that may never cause symptoms or shorten a person's life during their lifetime.

🌸Treatment Harms:
Overdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary worry and treatments (such as surgery or radiation) for cancers that were harmless.

🌸Other Health Priorities: As people get older, other health conditions become more common, making the overall population benefit of routine screening harder to measure and prove.

22/08/2026

04/08/2026

🎀 Spreading the word about breast screening – one bra at a time! 🎀

Our fantastic breast screening nurses recently attended a car boot sale, selling pre loved bras while chatting to members of the public about the importance of attending their breast screening appointment.

It was a great opportunity to answer questions, raise awareness, and encourage more people to take up their invitation when it arrives. Early detection really does make a difference.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, bought a bra, stopped for a chat, or helped make the day such a success. Together, we’re helping to spread the message that breast screening saves lives. 💗

30/07/2026

🌸 Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month 🌸

At South West London Breast Screening, we’re proud to celebrate the rich cultures, traditions and contributions of our South Asian colleagues and the communities we serve.

Our dedicated team includes radiographers of South Asian heritage, and all of our mammographers are female, providing expert, respectful and compassionate care in a welcoming environment.

Breast screening is for women without symptoms and can detect breast cancer at an early stage, when treatment is often more successful.

If you’re aged 50–70, you’ll usually be invited for breast screening every 3 years.

💗 If you’ve received your invitation, please attend. It only takes a few minutes, but it could save your life.

Together, we can help raise awareness, reduce barriers to screening, and encourage more women to take up their invitation.

07/07/2026

🎾 Game. Set. Screening🎾

The best match you’ll make this year!
Attending your breast screening mammogram when you are invited.

It only takes a short time, but it could make all the difference. Early detection gives you the best chance of successful treatment.

Don’t leave your health on the sidelines—serve yourself an ace and book today. 💗