Breast cancer remains the most common type of cancer in the UK, with around 56,800 people diagnosed each year. This number continues to spiral, with all those affected relying on the expertise of breast imaging specialists for diagnosis and treatment.

However, staffing levels within breast imaging have not kept up with the demand and the future of UK breast services is now under severe threat.

The Academy is our solution to change the future of breast cancer.

It will be an extension of The Nightingale Centre and will provide cutting-edge facilities to train vital breast specialists, meaning more mammograms, more research and more lives saved.

After noticing changes and visiting my GP, I was referred to a local breast unit just to rule out breast cancer, as at 31, they said I was too young. One week later, after lots of tests, I was told it was in fact breast cancer, and it had already spread.

Visiting the breast unit saved my life and means I’m still here to be mum to my three small children.

Incidence of breast cancer has continued to rise across the UK. In the last 10 years, GP referrals to breast units have doubled.

Severe workforce shortages. While the need for breast imaging is increasing, the shortage of clinicians, radiographers and radiologists has reached severe levels. Almost 12% of breast radiologist and radiographic posts are vacant nationally. In the UK, by 2025, 38% of breast radiologists, 49% of breast clinicians and 40% of the doctors are expected to retire.

Breast centres are closing. Due to a lack of radiologists, several breast centres across the country have closed. This has placed even greater pressures on the remaining units, directly impacting patients by causing delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Inadequate training facilities.  As a result of service pressures, identifying training space for trainees is becoming increasingly difficult, creating the perfect storm of an overstretched workforce with inadequate training facilities.

Research is suffering. The lack of appropriate space is also hindering the ability of many centres to participate in vital research studies.

Breast cancer doesn’t wait and neither can we.

The Academy will provide much needed space for training apprentices, radiographers, radiologists and breast clinicians, together with medical students, radiology trainees and administrative staff, in a fully resourced teaching environment.

More Mammograms. The Academy will expand the unit’s existing imaging capacity greatly, enabling 13,000 more women each year to get their mammograms and follow-up appointments, preventing delays in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

More Research. The building will provide essential space for both the participation and delivery of crucial research into breast cancer.

More Lives Saved. Building better breast cancer facilities means shorter waiting times, improved outcomes and crucially, increased survival rates.

An independent economic evaluation of the NBIA found that, over a ten-year period, the academy’s initiatives will save the health economy £50 million. For every £1 spent on the academy, the study suggests that a £4.50 return is delivered.

Dr Mary Wilson, a consultant breast radiologist with MFT, a trustee of Prevent Breast Cancer, and the programme lead for the National Breast Imaging Academy, said:

Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment relies on the expertise of breast imaging specialists. These men and women are often the first to spot a potential problem or even a cancer in its early stages, before any symptoms such as breast lumps are evident.

Early detection is key for increasing a woman’s chances of survival; not only does it reduce the risk that the cancer has spread, but it also means that treatment can often be less aggressive and much less disruptive to people’s lives.

Without this Academy, we are looking at a future without enough trained specialists to meet demands for mammograms. Patients could experience delays in their breast screenings which could result in later diagnoses, which could be detrimental to their ongoing treatment.