East Berkshire breast screening provides services to people living in:

• Windsor
• Ascot
• Bracknell
• Maidenhead
• Slough

Anyone registered with a GP as female will be invited for NHS breast screening every 3 years between the ages of 50 and 71. You should receive your first invitation between the ages of 50 and 53. You will get a letter in the post followed by a reminder text message.

If you are a trans man, trans woman or are non-binary you may be invited automatically, or you may need to talk to your GP surgery or contact us to ask for an appointment.

If you are aged 71 or over, we do not automatically invite you for breast screening.

However, you do have the right to free screening every 3 years if you ask. Please contact us directly.

If you are a trans man, trans woman or are non-binary you may be invited automatically, or you may need to talk to your GP surgery or call the local breast screening service to ask for an appointment.

Our mobile vans have several steps to get inside.

If you need step-free access please go for your screening at The Parapet at King Edward VII Hospital instead. 

We are committed to offering accessible and high-quality breast screening to help ensure the health and well-being of women in our community. Regular screening is recommended for women aged 50 to 70.

If you are eligible for breast screening, you will receive an invitation by mail. If you have any questions or need assistance, our friendly staff are here to help.

Please phone your breast screening unit before coming for your appointment if you:

• Need information in another format.
• Need additional support to attend screening, for example if you would like a pre visit.
• Have a learning disability or mobility problems and need a longer appointment.
• Have breast implants.
• Have a pacemaker or any other implanted medical device.
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Are under the care of a breast consultant.
• Have had a mammogram in the last 6 months.

• Regular breast screening can find breast cancer before you notice any signs or symptoms. It can pick up cancers that are too small to feel or see.
• Breast screening saves around 1,300 lives each year in the UK.
• Peace of Mind: Regular screening can provide reassurance.
• Finding cancer early can make it:
  More likely that treatment will be successful
  More likely you will be cured

• Anyone can get breast cancer. This includes women, men, trans and non-binary people.
• It is the most common type of cancer in the UK.
• The chance of getting breast cancer increases as you get older. Most breast cancers are diagnosed in women over 50 years old.

Some people are more likely to get breast cancer. This is sometimes called moderate risk or high risk.

You may have a higher chance of getting breast cancer if you have:

• Several close relatives who have had breast or ovarian cancer or both
• A change in a gene (mutation) that makes you more likely to get breast cancer – these include BRCA1, BRCA2 or TP53

As well as going for regular breast screening, it is important you know how your breasts normally look and feel. Cancers can develop between mammograms.

If you notice any changes in your breasts that are not normal for you, see your GP straight away.

• During breast screening you will have 4 breast X-rays (mammograms), 2 for each breast.
• The mammograms are performed by a specialist called a mammographer. The mammographer will be female.
• It is a quick and straightforward procedure, typically taking about 20 minutes.
• Before starting, the mammographer will check your details with you and ask if you have had any breast problems, and explain what will happen during the screening.
• You can ask the mammographer about any questions or concerns you may have.

How breast screening is performed

• You will be called into the X-ray room and the mammographer will explain what will happen.
• You will need to undress, so you are naked from the waist up.
• The mammographer will place your breast onto the X-ray machine. It will be compressed between two pieces of plastic to keep it still while the X-rays are taken. This takes a few seconds, and you need to stay still.
• The X-ray machine will then be tilted to one side and the process will be repeated on the side of your breast.
• Your other breast will be X-rayed in the same way.
• Trained radiologists then examine the images to identify any abnormalities.
• All equipment is cleaned in between every use.

Breast screening is often uncomfortable and sometimes painful.

You can talk to the mammographer, who is trained to help you feel more comfortable and give you support. You can also ask to stop at any time.

When you come for your screening

• Do not use talcum powder.
  
  Do:
  
• Wear skirt or trousers, rather than a dress, to make it easier to get naked to the waist.
• Tell staff if you have found screening uncomfortable in the past.
• Talk to the staff if you are nervous or embarrassed- they are trained to help you feel more comfortable and provide support.
• Ask staff not to use any phrases or words that make you uncomfortable or nervous.
• Tell the staff your pronouns if you would like to.

You will be asked to wait in a general waiting room when you arrive.

If you have any concerns or questions, you can:
• Talk to us- our contact details are on this page and you can discuss anything you're concerned about with the mammographer when you attend an appointment. 
• Contact Switchboard the LGBT+ helpline for advice.
• Bring someone with you to your appointment.

Your breast screening mammogram results will be available after around 2-3 weeks and are sent by post.

In some cases, we may need to invite you back for additional tests.

Please note that being invited back doesn't necessarily mean you have breast cancer; there are several reasons why further tests may be needed.

What your result means

No sign of breast cancer

• Your breast screening result letter may say that your mammogram shows no sign of breast cancer.
• You will not need any further tests and will be invited again in 3 years if you are between the ages of 50 and 71.
• Most people who have breast screening will have no sign of cancer.

Need further tests

• Most people who need further tests will not be diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Your results may say further tests are needed. You will be given an appointment for further assessment, this will involve:
  A consultation
  Further mammograms
  ultrasound scans of your breast
  In some cases a needle biopsy procedure

You may feel anxious about having further tests and what this means. Your letter will tell you how to contact a breast care nurse if you have any questions or would like to discuss the process.

If there are signs of breast cancer, finding it early means treatment is more likely to be successful and it is less likely you will need to have a breast removed (mastectomy).