Breast screening mobile unit arrives at Moyle Hospital

Every three years the Northern Trust Mobile Unit comes to the area to provide free, routine breast screening for all women over 50.

The new Digital Mobile Unit has been situated in the Moyle Hospital grounds since October 2014 and will be onsite until May 2015.

The women of the local area have been some of the first in the Northern Trust area to experience this state-of-the art equipment.

Over the incoming months, appointments will automatically be sent out to women in the area, aged 50-70, through their GP practice.

Appointments can be changed to suit by contacting the Northern Trust Breast Screening Centre Booking Office on 028 944 24425.

Women over the age of 70 are encouraged to attend and should contact the Booking Office to make their own appointment on 028 944 24425.

The new equipment will provide improved image quality, reduce the need for return visits to the mobile unit and provide a more relaxed screening environment.

During the mammogram two x-rays will be taken of each breast. Some women may find their mammogram uncomfortable, as each breast is compressed to ensure a clear and accurate x-ray.

However, this only lasts for a few seconds while each x-ray is taken.

All the staff on the mobile units are female.

They are highly trained and strive to ensure your experience will be a positive one.

In the most recent Patient Satisfaction Survey performed by the Northern Trust Breast Screening Unit, 18 per cent of ladies screened found their mammogram “completely painless,” 63 per cent found it “slightly uncomfortable,” 19 per cent found it “uncomfortable,” and 0 per cent found it “painful.”

Significantly, 100 per cent said they would encourage others to come and would return again in three years.

Breast screening can detect cancer at an early stage, improving the chance of a successful recovery and reducing the risk of dying from the disease.

Breast Cancer is the most common type of female cancer in the UK.

Survival from the disease is improving over time and three out of four women diagnosed are alive 10 years later.

Approximately 1300 lives are saved each year in the UK as a result of the Breast Screening Programme.

The Northern Trust Breast Screening Programme detected 82 breast cancers during the period from the April 1 2012 – March 31 2013.

In addition, 89 breast cancers were detected by the Trust’s Breast Screening Programme from April 1 2013 – March 31 2014.

If you have any worries or concerns regarding your breasts between screening mammograms, please make an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.

For further details on the Screening Programme contact the Public Health Agency on 028 9032 1313 or visit www.cancerscreening.hscni.net. .