High Peak MP welcomes return of breast cancer screening service following campaign

Clinics restarted in Buxton this week and will then rotate through Chapel-en-le-Frith, New Mills and Hope.

Mr Largan said: “I am delighted that breast cancer screening clinics have returned to the High Peak Early diagnosis is vital for breast cancer survival rates.

“I am pleased that this promise has been kept and that local screening clinics are now going ahead across the borough.”

The mobile screening unit was withdrawn in 2020 due to Covid, meaning women were asked to travel to Bakewell or Chesterfield instead.

The extra distance would mean many women would be unable to make their screening appointment which could delay any diagnosis.

The MP launched a petition calling for the mobile screening unit to be reinstated, which over 2,000 local people signed.

He also led a debate in Parliament to make a case for reinstatement directly to the Health Minister and secured a public commitment that breast screening would be brought back to the High Peak by July.

Mr Largan said: “A huge thanks to our local NHS for working so hard to bring this service back to the High Peak.

“Thanks to everyone who signed my petition as well. This shows what we can achieve when we work together.”

The North Derbyshire Breast Screening Service is part of the National Breast Screening Programme and invites around 20,000 women for screening each year.

The latest research shows that the national programme is now saving 1,300 lives every year in England.

Breast screening is offered to women aged 50-71, once every three years. Women will be contacted and invited for appointments directly.

To help keep on track with appointments, North Derbyshire Breast Screening Service is keeping four mobile vans in service instead of the usual two.

Staff are working extra hours on their days off where possible, and they have made changes to working practice to increase the number of appointments available for each day. A recruitment process is also under way for two trainee mammographers.