In a cross-sector collaboration with Breast Cancer Now and NHS England, Asda UK will provide new, alternative locations for the mobile breast screening units to be used by the NHS Breast Screening Programme, run by NHS England.
Asda has made their car parks, in specific regions, available to increase the convenience and visibility of vital breast screening services in England. The announcement was made as part of an Asda Parliamentary event hosted by Matt Vickers MP, which focussed on supporting community organisations, utilising store space and fundraising for national charities.
This initiative launches in Asda’s 27th year of supporting breast cancer charities through its Tickled Pink Partnership. Central to this is a commitment to support early diagnosis of the disease by helping normalise breast awareness, encouraging a million more people in the UK to check their chests more regularly and raising funds for Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel.
Asda is currently hosting three mobile breast screening vans in England and one in Scotland and looks forward to working with regional commissioning teams across England to identify additional locations where mobile breast screening vans can make a difference.
This will be based on an assessment by local Breast Screening Services, and should the offer be suitable for specific communities, it work in lockstep with the routine invitation cycle.
This positive initiative will also help contribute towards broader efforts to increase visibility and awareness of the importance of breast screening and encourage more women to take up their breast screening invite.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now, said that the organisation was delighted that NHS England and its long-term partner, Asda, were working together to improve the convenience of vital breast screening, with ASDA offering many of their car parks as locations for breast screening vans in England.
“Breast screening is a key tool for detecting breast cancer early, as critically, the sooner the disease is diagnosed, the more likely treatment is to be successful. As such, we welcome this important initiative which will help improve people’s awareness of breast screening and could provide this vital service in new community areas,” said Morgan.
Dr Nisha Sharma, Director of Breast Screening and Clinical Lead for breast imaging at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, said breast screening was a vital tool in detecting cancers at an earlier stage, which can make all the difference.
“We’re so pleased to have this local Breast Screening mobile unit in Morley Asda car park available, providing a convenient and accessible option to so many women,” said Sharma.
Jo Warner, Senior Director of Corporate Responsibility and ESG/Asda Spokesperson, stated that Asda knew it could do something practical to help with breast screening attendance declining in recent years.
“Opening up space in our car parks to host mobile screening units felt like a natural extension to three decades of fundraising and breast cancer awareness-raising efforts, and our hope is it will help to improve visibility and convenience of screening and ultimately drive earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for those affected by breast cancer,” said Warner.
Following years of declining breast screening attendance in England, this availability of alternative mobile screening unit locations comes as Breast Cancer Now’s #NoTimeToWaste campaign calls on the government to urgently invest in the NHS Breast Screening Programme to guarantee its accessibility to all eligible women and ensure it has enough staff and resources to offer the care women deserve, now and in decades to come.
That is why Breast Cancer Now called on the government to deliver a sustained national media awareness campaign promoting the importance and availability of breast screening in England, especially in areas and communities where uptake is lowest.
