Ms Fiona Murphy:

For breast screening and the cohort we are screening for, there is still a long period of checking and growth of cancer. Our message is always that if one has symptoms, one should go directly to the GP and get them checked. A screening programme will never pick up a very aggressive, fast-growing tumour because we only screen every two to three years. The message is clear: if one has symptoms, attend a GP and get them seen to.

In terms of impact, we do not know yet and will not know until the end of the screening round. It is particularly difficult to assess because, for the period of six or seven months in which we paused breast screening, we put all our resources into supporting the symptomatic service. That is why we found that in breast cancer, in particular, there was a fall-off. Some of the impact will have been positive over the last few months and at the end of the round we will look, as will everyone internationally, to access the impact because we anticipate it will have an impact.