Breast screening services are being made available to women aged between 50 and 70 at Banbridge Health and Care Centre.
Anyone whose GP in based in Banbridge, Loughbrickland, Rathfriland, Dromore or Donaghcloney will receive an invitation to attend.
For over 20 years the Southern Trust has provided a free breast screening service to all women in this age group.
Now, instead of being asked to travel to Newry or Lurgan for breast screening, local women will be able to access breast screening via the digital trailer – with state-of-the-art technology – which will be parked at Banbridge Health and Care Centre for a year.
Dr Linda Johnston, Director of Breast Screening for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, explained: “The mobile units are fully digital meaning that images are no longer printed onto film but are viewed and stored electronically.
“Image quality is higher which will assure ladies attending for their mammograms that the Trust offers them the latest technology to help improve early detection of breast cancer.
“Approximately 1,300 lives are saved each year in the UK as a result of the Breast Screening Programme.”
You can view a Public Health Agency video to see what to expect when attending for breast screening, here: www.cancerscreening.hscni.net/Breast%20Screening%20video.htm
Women aged over 70 are entitled to avail of breast screening if they wish but do not receive an automatic invitation.
They can ring to request an appointment on 028 3756 0820.
Details of the dates and locations where you will be able to see the units across Northern Ireland is available at www.cancerscreening.hscni.net
