A BREAST cancer survivor is calling for it to be made easier for women to attend potentially life-saving screenings to catch the disease early.

Ashley Dalton, former Labour parliamentary candidate for Rochford and Southend, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014.

She is calling for improved awareness campaigns and accessibility to screenings as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) begins.

The latest available NHS Digital figures show that just 69 per cent of eligible women in Southend attended routine screenings between April 2019 and March 2020 – meaning roughly 6,314 were not up to date with their checks.

Across Essex that figure rose to 76 per cent of eligible women in Essex attended routine screenings. Approximately 41,365 women were not up to date.

It meant health services in the county 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.

“Women that haven’t been called to screening or have missed it due to isolating, shielding or feeling they can’t attend because they don’t want to put pressure on NHS services are at unnecessary risk,” Ms Dalton said.

“Breast cancer screening massively increases the chances of surviving a cancer diagnosis because it’s caught early

“It has to be made easier for women to attend screenings and there needs to be a raising of awareness to let women know how important it is and that they aren’t a burden to the NHS.”

She added: “I had breast cancer in 2014. It was not caught early. If it had been I might have had a lumpectomy and radiotherapy. Instead I had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and am still taking hormonal drug treatments.

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 charity Breast Cancer Now, said a decline in screening uptake across the UK in recent years was already a "concern" prior to the pandemic, adding 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."

Alan Kirkman, chair of trustees at Southend-based breast cancer support service, said: “We are working with the NHS to help raise awareness of the importance of routine breast screening as we are aware that the uptake can be significantly improved.

“However, it should be recognised that 42 per cent of newly diagnosed breast cancer in the UK are found by women themselves during self-examination. Despite this, 47 per cent of women say they don’t check themselves regularly either.

“Breast cancer also affects those outside the NHS screening programme with 20 per cent of cases being in the under 50’s. This is why being breast aware is so important from an early age, creating lifetime habits, knowing what is normal for you, how to check ​yourself correctly, plus what to look for and do if you find something”