Breast screening unit team wins award

Radiographers from the Cambridge Breast Unit at Addenbrooke's has been named team of the year in the East of England by the Society of Radiographers. Four members of the team will be attending an awards ceremony on Thursday 12 November in the House of Commons.

In February this year, the Eastern Region quality assurance team from the NHS Breast Screening Programme visited the multidisciplinary team at the unit, and it was their findings that formed the basis for the award. Some of the comments included:

"This is an outstanding Breast Screening Unit, serving a population of around 55,000, that meets or exceeds all significant performance metrics required by the Programme... The proportion of women receiving a normal result within two weeks of attendance is 98% and the service has radically improved performance. These results are a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the entire breast screening team."

The team with the award

The unit has faced significant challenges in recent years, with ever-increasing numbers of women attending the sessions. By 2012, all women aged 47 to 73 will be invited for screening. The team is planning to increase capacity by setting up a static unit in Trumpington, subject to funding.

Barbara Knighton, Superintendent Radiographer, said: "When I entered us for the award, I was quite sad that I couldn't put the whole team in. Although it was just a Society of Radiographers award, it does reflect on the whole team. Everyone really pulls together, and puts the patient first."