What happened to the Essex breast screening service?
Thousands of women in parts of Essex were affected when the breast cancer screening service was suspended for almost two months due to a technical issue with the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). Vans and mobile units serving Colchester and Chelmsford were taken offline in early August after the fault emerged; staff were unable to access or compare new mammograms with older scans. The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust (ESNEFT), which runs the service, said the issue has now been resolved and will resume on Monday, 6 October, with around 7,000 patients invited for new appointments.
Why the pause mattered
In England, routine breast screening is offered to women aged 50 to 71. The suspension meant routine screening invitations were paused, raising concerns about delays in detecting cancers at a treatable stage. The trust acknowledged the disruption and said it has a recovery plan to see all paused patients as quickly as possible while rebuilding capacity after the backlog.
The impact on patients and backlog concerns
Some women reported difficulties booking appointments or keeping sessions after bookings were paused. One Chelmsford resident described repeatedly trying to book, only to be told that appointments were not being taken. The disruption has prompted concerns among patients and local representatives about how long the backlog will take to clear and what clinical repercussions could follow from delayed screening.
Voices from the community
Christine Rhodes, who lives in Chelmsford, said: “We are talking about a condition which can develop rapidly and could be fatal. If this unit is ever repaired, the waiting list for screening is going to stretch to many months. How many lives are going to be put at risk?”
Officials respond and accountability
Chelmsford Liberal Democrat MP Marie Goldman criticised the response, describing the situation as “simply not good enough” and questioning whether contingency plans were in place for a failed software implementation. Healthwatch Essex noted that cancelations create barriers to care and could deter people from seeking screening or treatment when needed.
What ESNEFT is doing now
In a statement, ESNEFT apologised for the technical issues that have now been resolved and said that around 7,000 patients will be offered new appointments following the cancellation of their original screening invitations. The trust emphasised a recovery plan to see all paused routine screenings as soon as possible and to address the backlog while maintaining patient safety.
Context: eligibility and the path forward
Routine breast screening in England is offered to women aged 50 up to their 71st birthday. The Essex incident underlines the importance of robust IT systems in cancer screening and the need for contingency measures to prevent similar backlogs in the future. Health officials stress that the priority is to resume screenings safely and efficiently, with ongoing monitoring to minimize further delays.
Health officials reiterate that despite the disruption, patient safety remains the priority and steps are in place to prevent a recurrence of such issues.
