The government has reiterated that there no decision has been made to change breast screening timeframes on the island.
A protest is planned for Tuesday to oppose any cuts to screenings, with the island’s three breast cancer charities uniting as they can for a written guarantee there will be no change.
The wording in the Mandate to Manx Care made clear reference to “decreasing the frequency of routine screening for breast and cervical cancer”.
However, this week the minister said this was open to interpretation.
Support
A spokesperson said: “At present there has been no decision to change the breast screening interval on the Isle of Man.
:The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) continues to support Manx Care in delivering a 2-year automatic Breast Screening Programme.
“Public Health Isle of Man, with input from Manx Care and the DHSC, will be undertaking this review over the course of the next year, and will look at the latest available evidence, considering our local context, demographic needs, and healthcare capacity.
“The outcome of this review will inform any future decisions. There will be community engagement alongside this review, including with local charities and stakeholders, and no changes will happen without taking account of everyone’s views.
“The Department fully understands and acknowledges the depth of feeling about the frequency of breast screening, and would like to thank Manx Breast Cancer Support for engaging in a constructive conversation with the DHSC and Cabinet Office yesterday to discuss and alleviate concerns.”
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