Health bosses have been searching for additional venues for mobile breast screening units in areas of Hertfordshire, as major supermarkets have found other uses for their car parking spaces.

The Beds and Herts Breast Screening Service invites around 60,000 women from across the region for screening every year.

And they operate a mobile screening unit at a network of local venues – parking alongside supermarkets, community centres and leisure centres – to make the service as accessible as possible.

But on Wednesday, county councillors heard that the hunt was on for additional venues in Hertfordshire – in cases where some previously used supermarket car parks were no longer available.

placeholder image — Hertfordshire County Council

Speaking at a meeting of the county council’s public health and community safety cabinet panel, public health officialCath Fenton told councillors the breast cancer screening provider had been finding it difficult to “find homes” for some of its mobile vans.

And she said public health staff had been working really closely with district and borough councils to see if there are car parking spaces that they can use to host the vans.

“[…] some of the bigger supermarkets that used to host are now using their parking spaces for things like ‘we sell any car’ and Timpsons pop-ups and things like that,” she said.

“So we’re trying to find alternative spaces for those vans.

“And again it’s not a service that we commission, but we are very keen on making sure that the services are as accessible as possible for local residents.”

Following the meeting a spokesperson for NHS England East of England confirmed that further sites for the mobile vans were needed in the county, as well as urging women in the county to take up breast screening invitations.

“Breast screening plays an important role in diagnosing cancers early, so offering screening locally, close to people’s home, in a place with good transport links and parking, is essential,” said the spokesperson.

“We are thankful to the local businesses in Hertfordshire that continue to support the screening programme by letting the mobile vans park on their land, within the communities being served.

“However, further sites are needed to ensure we can offer the screening close to people’s homes and we are working with the breast screening service and our partners to find suitable locations for the mobile screening vans.

“Although we know most eligible women in the East of England are taking up their invitations to breast screening, nearly a third are still hesitant.

“We urge anyone invited to attend their screening appointment – it could save your life.”

At the meeting county councillors were also updated on the uptake of breast screening in the Beds and Herts area.

Data – taken from the first three months of the 2024/25 period – shows that in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire combined 65.9 per cent of women who had been offered screening for the first time attended a screening appointment.

That’s lower than the 67.1 per cent recorded across the East of England region and the 66.6 per cent recorded nationally.

It is also below national targets. According to public health officials 70 per cent would be deemed acceptable but 80 per cent was encouraged.

The report also includes data on the proportion of women who have previously been screened who are sent a further appointment within 36 months of their last.

It suggests that in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 74.9 per cent of women, previously screened, had been sent a further appointment within 36 months.

Across the East of England region that figure was reported to be 91.2 per cent – ad 94.6 per cent nationally.