NHS breast screening invites women registered with a GP from age 50 up to their 71st birthday, once every 3 years. A normal mammogram means nothing was seen on that X-ray, on that day. Any lump or change you notice before the next invitation should go to your GP practice straight away, not wait for screening.

How often do you get breast screening on the NHS?

Every 3 years. The NHS says your first invitation usually comes somewhere between 50 and 53, then you’re invited every 3 years. You need to be registered with a GP practice, because that’s where the invitation list comes from. If you’ve moved and not re-registered, you can drop off it without knowing.

At what age does breast screening start, and when does it stop?

It starts at 50 and the invitations stop at your 71st birthday. Being over 71 doesn’t mean you can’t be screened. Local services such as the Southampton and Salisbury breast screening service say you can self-refer, and the NHS says you can keep going every 3 years if you ring and ask.

So if your mum has just turned 71 and assumes she’s been signed off by the NHS, she hasn’t. She just has to make the call herself now.

What if I notice a breast change between screenings?

See your GP practice. Don’t wait for the next letter. The NHS is pretty blunt about it: even if you were screened recently, a change goes to a GP now.

Screening is built for women with no symptoms. Once you’ve got a symptom, you’re on a different path: a GP assessment, and a referral to a breast clinic if it’s needed. Most changes turn out not to be cancer. That’s still the GP’s call to make, with an examination, not yours from the mirror.

Should I check my breasts if I have screening?

Yes. Not with a strict monthly routine, just knowing what’s normal for you so you’d notice if it changed. The NHS list of things to get checked:

  • a lump or swelling in the breast, chest or armpit
  • a change in the skin, such as dimpling, or a change in skin colour
  • a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
  • nipple discharge, which may contain blood, if you’re not pregnant or breastfeeding
  • a nipple that’s changed shape or look, such as turning inward or a new rash

Pain on its own isn’t usually a sign of breast cancer. Pain with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer is worth a GP appointment.

I’m a physician on a surgical team, not a breast specialist. What I see on the ward is how often people sit on a symptom because a check-up is coming. The same thing happens with a screening letter, and the letter can be nearly 3 years away.

Questions people ask

When does breast screening stop?

The NHS invitations stop at your 71st birthday. You can still be screened after that: ring your local breast screening service and ask for an appointment, and you can keep going every 3 years.

What if I notice a breast change between screenings?

Book a GP appointment and don’t wait for your next screening letter. A lump, skin dimpling, a change in shape, nipple discharge or a nipple that’s turned inward all need an examination, even if your last mammogram was normal.

How often do you get breast screening on the NHS?

Every 3 years, says the NHS, from 50 up to your 71st birthday, if you’re registered with a GP practice. The first invitation usually arrives between 50 and 53.