Mobile breast screening unit returns to Rutland

The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Breast Screening service was paused in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was based on national guidance and the need to ensure the safety of both staff and the women invited for breast screening. The service recommenced screening in July 2020.

At that time, although mobile screening was in operation in Melton Mowbray, the mobile unit at Oakham’s Rutland Memorial Hospital had been reallocated elsewhere. We heard from Rutland women that they were being directed to Leicester hospitals (Leicester General and the Glenfield) for their screening, and not offered Melton which may have been closer to home for many.

Further feedback from working aged women and carers in Rutland was that they could not afford taking time to attend screening in Leicester. This gave rise to concern at Healthwatch that there was an unfair risk to Rutland women’s health, by virtue of the inaccessibility of screening sites on offer.  

HWR therefore asked University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) to firstly, advise when screening in Oakham would recommence, and secondly, to offer Melton as an interim option for screening appointments for all Rutland women receiving invitations.

Whilst the Trust acknowledged that travelling to Leicester hospitals was less favourable for Rutland people, it was unable to offer appointments at Melton due to big backlogs in that area. Neither was it able to say when the Oakham mobile screening would restart.

We re-raised the issue at the regular quarterly Healthwatch/UHL meeting in December, and heard the good news that the Oakham service was planned to be started in the New Year.