A new mobile breast screening unit for south Buckinghamshire was opened in Princes Risborough. Local supporters raised more than £400,000 to pay for it.

A new mobile breast screening unit for south Buckinghamshire has been opened at the Wades Centre in Princes Risborough. It was paid for by a public appeal that raised more than £400,000.

The unit is run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which announced the opening on 3 November. The Countess Howe, Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, opened it on Wednesday 21 October.

Who paid for it

The appeal was led by two charities, Scannappeal and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Charitable Funds. The trust credits local communities and the broadcaster Lorraine Kelly, who lives locally, with its success.

The two charities have since merged as Buckinghamshire Healthcare Charity. The opening was attended by people who had shared their own experience of breast cancer, raised money in memory of someone, or taken on challenges for the appeal. An artwork called Circles of Support names those who contributed.

Andrew McLaren, the trust’s chief medical officer, said: “This new unit will make screening more accessible and convenient for people across south Buckinghamshire. We encourage everyone who is invited for breast screening to take up the opportunity.”

What it means for you

You do not book a routine breast screen yourself. The trust’s breast care service explains how it works:

  • women registered with a Buckinghamshire GP are invited automatically between the ages of 50 and 70
  • the first invitation comes some time between your 50th and 53rd birthdays
  • appointments are at the Breast Care Centre at Wycombe Hospital or on a mobile unit, usually near your GP surgery
  • your letter gives the date, time and place

If you are over 70, you can still have a free screen every three years, but you will not be sent an invitation. Call 01494 425689 to book. You can use the same number if it has been more than three years since your last screen.

To change an appointment, or to say you need a longer slot or a unit without steps, call 01494 323300. The trust asks anyone with breast implants who is invited to a mobile unit to call, because they need a longer appointment.

The trust has not published a timetable of where the new unit will park. Your invitation letter will say.

Sources