Professor Ann O'Doherty:

The number depends on the interval between when a woman should have been screened and when she was screened. As I alluded to earlier, the European Society of Breast Imaging has stated that a 12-week wait for screening does not adversely affect a healthy woman. I work in both symptomatic and screening services, and the real problem is ensuring that younger women and women with more aggressive tumours are dealt with. That is what we have to factor in and that is why I cannot give the Deputy an exact figure. We have managed throughout Covid to deal with all the urgent patients in the symptomatic service and that has been a huge challenge. I am not for one minute avoiding the question or saying there will not be an impact. I just cannot put a figure on it. We are very lucky in one way, in that we have a two-yearly screening programme, which was very hard fought for. The UK has a three-yearly screening programme, so women are already waiting 35 and 36 months. We do not have anyone waiting more than three years. We are doing everything we can and we will be back----