The National Health Service is facing renewed calls to change its breast screening policy for women over the age of 40. A petition that has gathered over 100,000 signatures is now scheduled for debate in Parliament, having surpassed the required threshold for consideration.
Petition Details
The petition, hosted on the official Parliamentary website, demands: "Lower the age for invites to regular mammograms to 40 and perform annually." It argues that early detection is critical and that the incidence of breast cancer among younger patients is increasing. The petition was launched by a chemotherapy nurse with eight years of clinical experience, who stated: "I have seen a rise in Breast Cancer in Patients under the Age of 40 increase. Early detection is key in identifying those Aggressive forms of Breast Cancer."
Parliamentary Debate
The Labour Party government and Parliament are set to debate this petition on June 29, 2026. The session will be streamed live on the UK Parliament YouTube channel, allowing the public to watch the proceedings. Since the petition exceeded 100,000 signatures, the Petitions Committee will consider it for debate.
Government's Previous Stance
A previous response from the Department of Health and Social Care outlined the government's position: "In line with independent advice from the UK National Screening Committee, the Government does not intend to lower the age or increase the frequency of breast screens." The government relies on the scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which recommends screening only when benefits outweigh harms.
The UK NSC bases its recommendations on internationally recognised criteria and rigorous evidence review. Screening programmes have both upper and lower age limits where scientific evidence shows that benefits outweigh harms. Women under 50 are not routinely screened due to lower risk and denser breast tissue, which reduces mammogram accuracy. The 2012 Marmot review estimated that screening women aged 50-70 reduces breast cancer mortality by 20% and saves about 1,300 lives annually. Screening outside this age range could lead to over-diagnosis and over-treatment.
Current Screening Practice
Most European countries also screen women between ages 50 and 69. However, women at very high risk of breast cancer, such as those with a strong family history, may be offered earlier and more frequent screening, sometimes using MRI instead of mammograms. The UK NSC keeps these age brackets under review, acknowledging that screening programmes may need to evolve over time.
