Messages urging women to self-check are being featured on Bradford Council’s vehicle management signage boards across the district.
Councillors Allison Coates (Cons, Baildon) and Beverley Mullaney (Lab Thornton, Allerton and Sandy Lane) and have been working collaboratively with the team at the NHS Pennine Breast Screening Unit at St Luke's Hospital to get the message out to communities across Bradford.
They have run awareness sessions and have used the available data to target the areas where it's known that the uptake rate for screenings is low.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby (Lab, Wyke), who is the portfolio holder for healthy people and places and Councillor Rizwana Jamil (Lab, Bowling & Barkerend), chair of the health and social care overview and scrutiny committee, said the collaborative working approach between Bradford Council and the NHS is showing uptake in mammogram attendance rates.
This year the partnership had the idea to use the Vehicle Management System signage boards, which usually inform people of road closures or road safety messages, to serve as a reminder to self-check during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Council officers were happy to oblige and this message will reach tens of thousands of people during October.
Councillor Coates who is the shadow portfolio holder for healthy people and places and sits on the health and social care overview and scrutiny committee said: “We know that being breast aware and self-checking every month and, for the over 50's, attending mammogram screening when called leads to earlier detection and more favourable outcomes if cancer is found.”
