The Health Secretary has said he will support calls by Fareham MP Suella Braverman for a new mobile breast screening unit at Fareham Community Hospital, following its move away from Locks Heath Shopping Centre.
Speaking in the House of Commons today during Health Questions, Suella highlighted to Health Secretary Matt Hancock how the hospital had seen increased usage through local GPs working together to provide a same-day access scheme, but that there was demand for a mobile breast screening unit.
Expressing the “disppointment” felt by constituents, she therefore asked the Health Secretary to support her call for Community Health Partnerships Ltd and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust to explore how a mobile breast screening unit could be delivered at Fareham Community Hospital.
The Health Secretary said he supports the campaign and that he would raise the matter with Sir Mike Richards, who is leading a review of NHS England breast screening services. He also congratulated Suella on her news that she is expecting a baby in July, saying that he welcomed her use of maternity services over the coming months.
Welcoming the minister’s comments, Suella Braverman said:
“I’m very pleased that the Health Secretary backs my calls for a mobile breast screening unit at Fareham Community Hospital. It’s vital that we can offer this important service more easily to women in Fareham to ensure that we catch cancer earlier and quicker.
“As chair of the Fareham Community Hospital Taskforce, I have raised previously this issue and I’m also pleased that the Secretary of State will be raising it with Sir Mike Richards who is leading a review of breast screening services in England.”
The full exchange in the Commons can be found here.
