More than 3,000 appointments for routine breast screening have had to be rescheduled because of the pandemic.

The breast screening service says it is making progress in clearing the backlog. The unit was closed for four months last year.

There’s a three-month waiting list for women already attending for screening every year from the age of 50.

Women due to attend for their first screening could wait for 10 months to be seen.

A spokesperson for the unit said: ’This is within the services guidelines, which state that screening should be offered to women aged 50 before their 51st birthday.

’Before the service was temporarily suspended in 2020, most appointments for women newly aged 50 were offered in the month of their 50th birthday. A return to this position is anticipated after March 2022.’

Extra staff have been recruited to help deal with the backlog.

A trainee mammographer has joined the unit and a qualified mammographer is being recruited. Locum and bank mammographers have been employed in the interim.

Demand is high on the breast screening appointments line and women are being encouraged to email the service using the address on their appointment letter.

Earlier this year, Julie Edge MHK criticised waiting times for those diagnosed with cancer. She has also raised screening services in Tynwald. On average, 34 breast cancers are detected per year through mammogram screening.

Mrs Edge said: ’A mammogram is one of the most important initial tests for detecting breast cancer and it’s disappointing to hear that the first test for over 50s is delayed by up to ten months.

’It’s an anxious time, but such an important test for early detection for all women.

’I was extremely grateful for my routine screening which detected my cancer early but it had developed within the two years since my last test.

’The priority is to focus on tests and outcomes for individuals.’

She added: ’The Isle of Man is fortunate that we have a screening service every two years, unlike the UK, which is three. This proves that when 34 cases on average are picked up through the screening programme per annum that the Isle of Man programme is working.’