Prevent Breast Cancer is the only UK charity entirely dedicated to the prediction and prevention of breast cancer and we’re committed to freeing the world from the disease altogether. We’re situated at The Nightingale Centre at Wythenshawe hospital, which is the only breast cancer prevention centre in the UK, which means we’re right at the front-line in the fight against the disease. This key advantage point has led to recognising severe workforce shortages within breast imaging, at a time when preventative measures and early diagnosis has never been more critical.

Indeed, incidence of breast cancer continue to rise, and it remains the most common cancer in the UK. With GP referrals to breast units doubling in the last ten years, it is the biggest cause of death in women aged between 35 and 49.

Alarmingly, the need for breast imaging is increasing at the same time as there are severe shortages amongst breast imaging staff. This has already led to several breast centres closing nationally, placing even greater pressures on the remaining units.

The National Breast Imaging Academy will be an extension of The Nightingale Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital and will provide a solution to these workforce shortages by delivering the space and facilities to train a sustainable workforce to support breast services across the country. This cutting-edge building will also allow the additional capacity for research into breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and regionally, will enable an extra 13,000 patients to be seen each year for breast screening.