Warminster Town Council will submit a formal letter of complaint to NHS England, as it continues to fight to restore a vital mobile breast screening unit in the town.
Concern has been raised after the decision to close the mobile breast screening service in Warminster last year, which means residents must now travel to Westbury or further afield for appointments.
At a Full Council meeting on Monday 23rd March, Councillor Liz Lee said there had been a “continued lack of engagement” from NHS England regarding the future of the breast screening unit serving Warminster.
“We, along with others, have formally written to NHS England to request a meeting to seek clarity on the return of the breast screening unit in the 2028 screening cycle,” said Cllr Lee.
“This service is vital to the health and wellbeing of residents in our community, providing accessible, potentially life-saving early detection for breast cancer.
“Unfortunately, despite the importance and urgency of this matter, we have yet to receive a response or even an indication of when a meeting might be scheduled.
“This lack of communication is both disappointing and unacceptable. Our residents deserve transparency and reassurance that their healthcare needs are being taken seriously.”
Cllr Lee also highlighted how a campaign for earlier testing for women in the UK means even more women in Warminster will be affected by the removal of the clinic.
“Early diagnosis saves lives, and access to local screening services is a critical part of that. As a council, we are committed to advocating for our community,” she said.
“We will now be writing again to NHS England to formally lodge a complaint regarding the absence of a response and to press for immediate engagement on this issue.
“We remain determined to ensure that Warminster is not overlooked and that our residents have fair and equitable access to essential health services.”
David Reeves from Health and Wellbeing in Warminster also previously submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request but received no response.
Cllr Lee will work with Town Clerk Tom Dommett to send a formal letter of complaint to NHS England regarding the breast screening unit in Warminster, including as an appendix, a list of correspondence that has already been sent.
The mobile breast screening service is part of the NHS Breast Screening Programme, offering mammography in mobile units to ensure access in local, often less hospital-centric settings.
Pictured: Cllr Liz Lee
