Isle of Man routine breast cancer screening resumes on Monday

Routine mammogram appointments were stopped in early February

Routine breast screening for women aged 50 to 70 on the Isle of Man will resume on Monday, Manx Care has confirmed.

Appointments were stopped on February 1 while changes to the way the service at Noble's Hospital assesses results were made.

Clinics for those with symptoms of cancer were not affected, but a spokesman said 650 letters were not sent out during the suspension.

The service will now prioritise women who have previously had breast cancer.

Those with a family history of cancer will also receive their routine mammogram appointments first.

The health minister Lawrie Hooper previously said the island's new on-island radiographer would assess women in person in future before the results are analysed again at a UK hospital.

Previously the Greater Manchester Breast Screening Programme at Wythenshawe Hospital had been doing all the analysis of mammograms taken on the island.

The suspension was needed to create a link between mammography systems in both hospitals, but extra clinics were planned to tackle the backlog Mr Hooper said.

A Manx Care spokesman said "additional resources" would be put in place to catch up "as much as possible by the end of March 2023".

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]