North Yorkshire Breast Screening Service

About the service

The North Yorkshire Breast Screening Service is part of the NHS Breast Screening Programme, offering a mammogram (breast x-ray) to over 100,000 women, aged from 50 to 71, once every three years.

Breast screening is by appointment only. If you are registered with your GP as female, you will receive your first invitation within three years of turning 50. Invitations for screening are sent automatically to women up until their 71st birthday.

Women aged over 71 are still entitled to a breast screening appointment every three years. These women will not be sent an invitation but are encouraged to contact the Breast Screening Unit on 01904 725590/91 to request an appointment at their convenience and location. If you're a trans man, trans woman, or are non-binary, you may be invited automatically, or you may need to talk to your GP surgery or call the local breast screening service to ask for an appointment.

Results of your screening mammogram should be available to you by post within 2 weeks of your appointment. About 4 in every 100 clients are asked to come back for more tests after screening. For these tests you will be given an appointment at the specialist unit in the Magnolia Centre, York Hospital.

Anyone with breast symptoms should see their GP for referral to the most appropriate breast service.

Find us

The Magnolia Centre at York Hospital is the base for the North Yorkshire breast screening service. Screening mammograms are undertaken at both York and Scarborough hospitals, plus three mobile mammography units, which rotate through over 20 locations across North Yorkshire, enabling the service to deliver breast screening as locally as possible for our clients.

See a map of our locations.

Why is breast screening important?

Breast screening aims to detect breast cancer at an early stage, often before any signs or symptoms are visible. Screening saves approximately one life from breast cancer for every 200 women who are screened. To help you decide, here is the link to information on the possible benefits and risks of breast screening.

If you are concerned about your breasts, you should contact your GP as soon as possible, do not wait for your routine breast screening appointment. The GP can refer you to the symptomatic services, also based at The Magnolia Centre in York Hospital.