Welcome to our latest news summary featuring updates from the National Screening Service (NSS). To keep up to date with our news, including upcoming events and job opportunities, read our news reports, and follow us on X @NSShse, LinkedIn, and on Bluesky @nsshse.
Highlighting the importance of your first breast screening as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year we’re highlighting the importance of women’s first breast screening appointment. Most women who come for their first screening will keep coming back every time they are invited.
We know from research that women who don’t come for their first breast screening are:
- less likely to attend in the future
- more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a more advanced stage later in life.
BreastCheck is for women aged 50 to 69. We invite women for breast screening about every 2 years up to the age of 69 and we aim to send you your first appointment by the age of 52. The timing of your first appointment can depend on when our mobile unit is screening in your area. So, you might be 53 when you get that first appointment. Some women may be older, such as women who have recently moved to Ireland.
Read more about how we are working to support women to come for screening.
BreastCheck appointments now available on HSE Health App
We are now providing BreastCheck appointment information on the HSE Health App. The App has been downloaded by 145,000 people so far, with 10,000 of these people in the eligible population for BreastCheck.
If you are a registered user of the HSE Health App, and you have an upcoming appointment with BreastCheck, you will be able to see:
- your appointment date and time
- BreastCheck clinic name
- the location of your appointment (address and Eircode)
- a phone number and email address for BreastCheck.
The App also signposts information about how to get ready for a mammogram and how to change or cancel an appointment.
The HSE Health App is a secure way to get general HSE information, find health services, and keep and find your personal health information. Thirteen of the 15 hospital clinics that provide colposcopy services for CervicalCheck are also sending appointments through the App.
Find out how to download the HSE Health App.
PPP groups from across the HSE gather at Croke Park
Our Patient and Public Partnership (PPP) representatives were among 500 delegates at the National Public and Patient Partnership Conference at Dublin’s Croke Park on 17 September. The event brought together health and social care professionals, and PPP partners, to celebrate and advance healthcare partnership.
One of our PPP reps Linda Sice Brogan delivered a presentation titled ‘Co-producing a Patient and Public Partnership recruitment campaign’. The presentation explored our 2024 recruitment campaign that attracted 14 new members to our PPP, including six people who bring additional diversity to the group.
We also shared a poster on our social media campaign that featured our BowelScreen patient representative Mary Kennedy. Mary’s testimonial was among our most impactful social media ads during 2024 and helped to increase awareness and registrations for BowelScreen.
Read more about how we partner with patients and members of the public to deliver person-centred care services.
Exciting new development for the mammography workforce in Ireland
We have partnered with University College Cork (UCC) to design and deliver a new postgraduate course in mammography. This flexible part-time course is the only mammography course available in Ireland. UCC will deliver the academic modules of the master’s degree and BreastCheck will deliver the practical modules while also contributing to the content of lectures.
This partnership means students will have access to real-world mammography education and high-quality supervised practice.
BreastCheck National Radiography Service Manager Kerry Lombard said: “This is an important collaboration with UCC, ensuring we can provide high-quality, accessible education that meets the needs of our workforce. We train our radiographers to meet the high clinical standards set under international guidelines. Previously, students had to travel to the UK to complete mammography training. The establishment of an Irish master’s-level course makes mammography education more accessible to Irish radiographers, and is a great opportunity for people building a career in mammography.”
Read more about the new postgraduate course.
We value your feedback. Email communications@screeningservice.ie