We’ve published our 2022 BreastCheck Statistical Report.
The report shows that COVID-19 restrictions continued to impact the delivery of breast screening services with strict social distancing and infection prevention control measures in place until April 2022.
The report shows an increase in screening activity in 2022 compared to 2021:
- we invited 226,553 women for screening (166,176 in 2021)
- 73,512 women were invited for their first breast screening (42,015 women in 2021).
Uptake rates
There was an increase in the number of women screened in 2022.
- 155,916 women chose to attend their screening appointment, compared to 123,891 in 2021. This is an uptake rate of 70.3% - above the programme standard of 70%.
- Almost 7 in 10 women invited for the first time attended for screening. Uptake was highest in women aged 50 to 54.
- More than 8 in 10 women who had previously attended BreastCheck and were invited again for subsequent screening, attended in 2022, with high uptake rates in all age groups.
- We aim to invite women for screening every two years. In 2022 the proportion of women re-invited within two years of a previous screen, and women invited within two years of becoming known to the programme, fell outside standards.
Cancer detection
- Of the women invited for screening in 2022 for either the first time or a subsequent time, 1,458 were diagnosed with a cancer - a cancer detection rate of 9.4 per 1,000 women screened. This was the highest number of cancers detected in a single year since the start of the BreastCheck programme in 2008.
- The majority of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) relating to individual cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment were within programme standards.
Context for interpreting the data
The report offers a valuable data-led insight into the operation of BreastCheck in 2022.
2022 was distinct in a few ways. It was the first year since 2019 that screening could be provided for the full year. However, COVID-19 infection prevention control measures were still in place until April. These included social distancing measures in our BreastCheck screening units and in hospitals where treatment takes place. The cumulative impact of these restrictions on screening capacity, and previous pauses in 2020 and 2021, meant it took longer to screen all women whose tests were due. You can read about BreastCheck: Recovery from COVID here.
In 2022 we offered screening to additional women – those aged over 70 whose final screening test could not take place when the programme was paused.
We also navigated other operational challenges as we sought to restart women on their screening journey in 2022. These included:
- High numbers of missed and cancelled appointments. COVID-19 continued to circulate in the community leading to increased staff absences, and women being unable or, understandably, unwilling to enter a public setting for their scheduled appointment. To overcome this we put in place a new text messaging system to ensure we made maximum use of our screening capacity. We sent attendance reminders to women a few days before their appointment, including information on actions to take to ensure every appointment slot is filled.
- Ongoing global shortage of radiology and radiography staff. We are actively recruiting radiologists and radiographers. Our staffing levels reflect the national and international shortage of radiographers across all areas of healthcare. Actions to address these challenges include the development of a 10-year strategic workforce plan. A new Breast Radiology Workforce Group was also established which led to successful recruitment. More details of our work to promote screening as a workplace of choice can be found in our 5-year strategic plan, Choose Screening: Together we can make a difference.
- Competing demand for onward treatment and assessment capacity. We offer a complete onward service to the women we screen – including diagnosis and treatment (primary surgery). We carefully manage invitations in line with capacity to ensure women have access to assessment and surgery if needed. In 2022 surgical services in BreastCheck host hospitals were experiencing high demand from symptomatic breast cancer services as a result of the COVID-19 pauses across the health service and women presenting with symptoms.
- Advances in treatment. We are pleased to note that developments in surgery mean that more women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are offered treatment interventions with improved cosmetic outcomes. These are breast-conserving surgery, oncoplastic surgery and breast reconstruction. More time in theatre is needed to carry out these complex treatments, which further impacts available treatment capacity.
- Planning for population changes. According to 2022 Census data, 2022 was the first time in 171 years that Ireland's population exceeded five million people. Ireland’s population is also ageing, with 40.6% of people aged 45 or over in 2023. This means that with every year an increasing number of women in Ireland will become eligible for BreastCheck.
It’s important to highlight that despite the challenges, the 2022 data reflects the resilience of our BreastCheck programme and an enormous effort by our staff and management. Over 220,000 women were offered breast screening in 2022. We also continued to deliver a high-quality service to women, meeting many KPIs while implementing innovative solutions around recruitment and appointments, temporarily offering screening to women aged over 70, and planning for future developments. Many of the challenges which were present in 2022 are ongoing. Addressing these challenges requires a dynamic approach which acknowledges operational realities and the changing profile and needs of the women we care for in screening.