ATTENDING a mobile breast screening unit will soon be a thing of the past for women across the borough.
On Monday, November 12, a £120,000 new state-of-the-art static screening machine will begin scanning ladies inside Cromwell Road Primary Care Centre, Grimsby.
This new unit is the culmination of five years' planning and will provide the most up-to-date digital mammography.
Breast cancer survivor Beryl Watson, of Scartho, believes it is vital to have a permanent location where women can be screened.
The 76-year-old, said: "I think this is excellent and will make women feel a lot calmer about attending their appointment.
"The room is light, spacious and it feels very private which is important to many women.
"I feel very lucky to be here today after my diagnosis in 1997. However, I do put my survival down to the quick response and treatment I received."
The service will provide women with an immediate digital mammography. If there are any technical problems which result in a second screening needed, it can be done before the patient leaves their appointment. Results of the screenings should be expected within the following two weeks.
Fiona Smith, lead clinical trainer for mammography at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, said: "I am part of a team that will come to Grimsby and screen women within this new unit. We used to have a mobile device sent to Grimsby's Diana Princess of Wales Hospital but this will now be stopped.
"For women without breast cancer, this static machine will now be their first port of call to detect any abnormalities within the breasts.
"We are very successful in noticing even the subtle changes within the breast but women have to be aware that not all changes mean cancer. Providing ladies with a fixed location to come to is all about giving them easy access and reaching out to those unsure."
The standard age for women to receive breast screening is between 50 and 70 years old.
Now across the country, a six-year trial is being carried out so that women between the ages of 47 and 73 can have the opportunity of a screening.
Rose Lebrun, nurse consultant in public health and screening co-ordinator for North East Lincolnshire, said: "Breast screening is an important method of detecting abnormalities at an early stage.
"The NHS Breast Screening Programme aims to detect and treat breast cancer early but vigilance against the onset of disease is one of the first lines of defence in tackling breast cancer."
Lisa Gallop is working with the health trainer service, and said: "There are lots of women frightened about this.
"What I try to do is ease their minds, get them to understand that they might not even show signs of having cancer, but if they do then early detection is key for survival."
