A recent study of women in Hillingdon has found that a text message reminder sent 48 hours before a breast screening appointment improved attendance by 6%. 

Imperial College Healthcare charity, which ran the study, hopes the findings will help to improve attendance rates across London.

A total of 1640 women in the borough aged between 47 and 53 without a history of breast screening, implant, or bilateral mastectomy, were randomly assigned to a control or an intervention group.

Those in the control group received no reminder for their appointment at the West of London Breast Screening Service, which runs clinics in Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith, in Ealing Hospital, in the Heart of Hounslow Centre for Health and at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.

Eight out of ten women who did get a text went along to the clinic for their first screening.

According to the study, London consistently struggles to meet a national target of 75% attendance rates for breast screening appointments.

Even in the women who attended appointments after the text reminder, the rate of attendance was 69%.

Out of the control group of women who were not sent a reminder text, 63% went to their first check-up.

Deborah Cunningham, who lead the study, said: "The potential long-term impact on someone’s life through a simple text message reminder about a breast screening appointment is staggering. We know that people who attend their first screening appointment are more likely to attend subsequent invitations.

"We’ve shown through this simple and low cost intervention how many more Londoners could benefit from the early detection of breast cancer."