Making Cancer Screening More Innovative

Revolutionizing Cancer Screening

Thousands to Benefit from New NHS Initiative

The NHS is set to transform cancer screening for thousands of women with a new, tech-driven approach. Starting next month, women will receive phone alerts reminding them when they are due or overdue for cancer screening. This will be followed by the ability to book screening appointments directly through the NHS App, a feature slated for release next year.

Last year alone, NHS breast cancer screenings identified cancer in 18,942 women in England—cases that might have gone undetected without early intervention. Despite this, over a third of eligible women did not attend their screening appointments, with more than two million skipping a mammogram in the past three years.

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The new system will initially send breast screening invitations via the NHS App, expanding to cervical screenings in spring. By early 2026, millions of women will be able to book breast screening appointments with just a few taps on their phones.

NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard highlighted the initiative’s potential at the NHS Providers’ annual conference, stating:
“We are excited by the power of technology to revolutionize cancer screening access. The new ‘ping and book’ system will make life-saving checks more convenient, helping ensure eligible women don’t miss out.”

This move is part of broader NHS reforms aimed at digitizing services, improving accessibility, and saving over £130 million in costs within five years.