THOUSANDS of women are not up to date with potentially lifesaving breast screening on the Isle of Wight, figures show.

Before the Covid pandemic hit, 79 per cent of eligible women on the Island were up to date with their screenings at the end of March 2020 – but this translates to roughly 4,276 women not being up to date.

That is according to the latest available NHS Digital figures and is also in line with the year before.

It meant Isle of Wight health services achieved the national minimum target of 70 per cent uptake but fell short of the 80 per cent the NHS says all services should aim for.

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month underway, experts are urging women to check for signs and symptoms of the disease and for those eligible to take up their invitations for routine screenings.

The NHS breast screening programme sees women aged between 50 and 71 invited every three years to undergo a mammogram (X-ray) designed to detect cancers that are too small to see or feel.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said a decline in screening uptake across the UK in recent years was already a concern prior to the pandemic.

The charity estimates 1.2 million fewer women had a screening in 2020 due to coronavirus-related disruption.

She said: "We must do all we can to increase the number of women taking up their invitation to breast screening, including text reminders, more convenient appointments and improving awareness of the programme.

"While screening comes with some risks to be aware of, we encourage women to attend their appointments when invited, including during the pandemic."

The most recent PHE figures at local authority level, which span a three-year period, show there were 45 breast cancer deaths on the Isle of Wight in women aged up to 75 between 2017 and 2019.

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said it was providing record investment to tackle backlogs influenced by the pandemic and provide an extra nine million checks, scans and operations.

He added: "Most cancer services are back to or above pre-pandemic levels and nearly half a million people were checked for cancer in June and July, some of the highest numbers ever."