More than 30,000 Cheshire West and East women were not up to date with potentially life-saving cancer checks last year, figures show.

An ‘alarming’ drop in breast cancer screenings across England is a reminder of the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on cancer care and diagnosis, charities say.

The screening programme sees women aged between 50 and 71 invited every three years to undergo a mammogram (X-ray) designed to detect cancers that are too small to see or feel.

The data shows 60 per cent of eligible women in Cheshire West and Chester were up to date with their screenings at the end of March last year, meaning roughly 17,185 were not.

That proportion was down from 79 per cent the year before.

In Cheshire East, the data shows 69 per cent of eligible women were up to date with their screenings at the end of March last year, meaning roughly 15,116 were not.

That proportion was down from 76 per cent the year before.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of charity Breast Cancer Now, warned that hundreds could die over the next decade due to the impact of the pandemic on screenings.

She said the human cost behind the latest figures is ‘stark’, adding: “Screening uptake has hit its lowest point in history despite NHS staff working tirelessly, in the toughest of circumstances, to restart and continue breast screening services.

"Breast screening is a vital tool for detecting breast cancer early, and the sooner it’s diagnosed the more likely treatment is to be successful."

Screenings were seriously impacted by pandemic-related disruption and were paused between March and June 2020 to protect patients and staff from the virus, before resuming that summer.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “The pandemic inevitably had an impact on some routine services and we know that fewer people came forward for cancer checks.

“The NHS is now inviting more people than ever to be screened, while investing a further £70 million to support screening services, which we know saves thousands of lives, so it remains vital that women come forward when they receive their invitation to do so.”