Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, met with representatives from NHS England to discuss the option of mobilising a Breast Screening Unit to serve villages across South Staffordshire including Perton, Bilbrook and Codsall.
During the meeting, Gavin discussed the possibility of mobilising the Unit to other areas and has called on commissioning authorities to respond to the campaign of around 400 local residents and look into the option of mobilising the Unit once again.
Concerns were raised by the group campaigning for the Unit to around to other villages after figures showed that there was a fall in the number of women seeking breast screenings, possibly related to limited access to facilities. Women from Bilbrook, Codsall and Perton currently face an average round trip of four bus journeys to access it.
On his meeting Gavin commented: “It was great to meet with representatives from NHS England to discuss this important issue that affects woman right across South Staffordshire. I very much hope that the commissioning authorities look in to the possibility of mobilising the Unit and providing Breast Cancer screening services to villages such as Perton, Codsall and Bilbrook.
“It is extremely worrying to hear that there has been a fall in the number of women in South Staffordshire seeking breast screenings and the difficulty that they currently face trying to access them. I would like to thank campaigners who are working to get these important facilities back in place for women who need them. It is vital we do everything we can to ensure that the Unit becomes mobilised once again and that women across South Staffordshire have access to it.”