Written question WQ83345
- Asked by
- Natasha AsgharConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 5 days
Question
What plans does the Welsh Government have to start checks for breast cancer at an earlier age than at present?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
The Welsh Government follows the independent expert advice of the UK National Screening Committee which currently recommends breast screening from the age of 50. Providing breast and cervical screening at the same time would be logistically challenging, would risk inefficiency and potentially reduce citizen choice, due to the different age cohorts invited for each programme (the age range for cervical screening is 25-64, the age range for breast screening is 50-70), the different intervals between screenings for each programme and the different expertise and facilities required for each programme.