Quick answer
NHS breast screening invites women aged 50 to 70 for a mammogram every three years, free of charge. Private screening is paid for, available outside that age range, arranged in days rather than by invitation, and usually combines a consultation and imaging with results discussed at the same visit.
Key takeaways
- The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women from 50 to 70 for screening every three years, and the first invitation arrives between your 50th and 53rd birthday.
- Women over 70 are not automatically invited but can still be screened every three years by contacting their GP or local breast screening unit.
- NHS screening is free and evidence-based. For a woman aged 50 to 70 with no symptoms and no strong family history, it is a perfectly reasonable route.
- Private screening buys three things: access outside the invited age range, control over timing, and a consultation with imaging and results in one visit.
- Currently published fees here are £350 for an initial surgeon consultation, £275 for a mammogram and £345 for a bilateral ultrasound.
- Screening is for people without symptoms. If you have found a lump or another change, you need assessment rather than screening, and that is a different pathway.
The question people actually ask is rarely “which is better”. It is usually one of three more specific things: I am 45 and worried, can I get screened? My invitation is not due for two years, can I go sooner? Or, my mother had breast cancer, is three-yearly enough for me? Those have different answers, and they are the useful way into the comparison.
What follows is a straight account of what each route provides. The NHS programme is genuinely good and free, and a private clinic telling you otherwise is selling rather than advising.
What does NHS breast screening actually cover?
Cancer Research UK summarises the programme in one sentence: “The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women from the age of 50 to 70 for screening every 3 years.” The first invitation arrives between your 50th and 53rd birthday, and it comes to the address your GP holds, which is why being registered with a GP matters.
The appointment itself is a mammogram — two views of each breast, read by specialists, with the result posted to you. There is no consultation and no examination, because the programme is designed to screen a whole population efficiently rather than to assess individuals. That design choice is the source of most of the frustration people feel with it, and also the reason it can be offered free at that scale.
Above 70, invitations stop. Screening does not: as Cancer Research UK notes, you can still be screened every three years but you will not automatically be invited, and you need to contact your GP or your local breast screening unit to arrange it. A large number of women over 70 do not realise this.
What does private breast screening add?
Three things, and it is worth being precise about them because they are the whole of the value.
Access outside 50 to 70. If you are 42, or 74, the NHS programme will not invite you. Private breast screening is available at any adult age where there is a clinical reason for it.
Timing you control. You book rather than wait for a letter. For someone whose three-year interval has another two years to run and who has become anxious in the meantime, that is the entire point.
A consultation attached to the imaging. This is the difference most patients notice. A private appointment normally includes seeing a consultant, being examined, having the imaging that is appropriate for your breast tissue and age — mammogram, ultrasound, or both — and discussing the images the same day rather than waiting for a letter.
How much does private breast screening cost in the UK?
Fees vary between providers and change over time, so treat any figure you read online, including this one, as needing confirmation before you book. The fees currently published on our frequently asked questions page are:
| What you are paying for | Currently published fee | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation with the surgeon | £350 | History, clinical breast examination, and a plan for which imaging is appropriate for you |
| Mammogram | £275 | Low-dose X-ray imaging of both breasts, reported by a breast radiologist |
| Bilateral breast ultrasound | £345 | Ultrasound of both breasts, often the more informative test in dense or younger breast tissue |
| Ultrasound-guided core biopsy | £394 | Only if imaging shows something that needs tissue sampling |
| Histology | £387 | Laboratory analysis of a biopsy sample |
| NHS screening mammogram | Free | Mammogram only, by invitation, ages 50 to 70, every three years |
“If you are 55, symptom-free, with no family history and an NHS invitation in the post, take it. Where private screening earns its fee is when you fall outside the programme, or when waiting is doing you real harm.”
Mr Debashis Ghosh, Consultant Breast and Oncoplastic Surgeon
If you have a symptom rather than a screening question — a lump, a change in shape, nipple discharge — screening is not what you need. Our same-day one-stop breast clinic is the assessment pathway, and it brings consultation, imaging, biopsy where needed and results into one visit. We see our clinic for Fitzrovia patients and patients travelling in from across London.
Private and NHS breast screening: frequently asked questions
At what age does NHS breast screening start?
Invitations begin between your 50th and 53rd birthday and continue every three years to age 70. If you are registered with a GP, the invitation is sent to the address they hold for you.
Can I get NHS breast screening if I am over 70?
Yes, though you will not be invited automatically. Cancer Research UK advises that you can continue to be screened every three years by contacting your GP or your local breast screening unit directly.
Is private screening more accurate than NHS screening?
Not inherently. The mammography technology and the reporting standards are comparable. What differs is that a private appointment usually adds a clinical examination and ultrasound where appropriate, so more than one method is used, and the results are discussed with you face to face on the day.
Should I have a mammogram or an ultrasound?
It depends on your age and your breast density. Mammography is less sensitive in dense tissue, which is more common in younger women, so ultrasound is often more informative under about 40. Over 40, mammography is usually the primary test, with ultrasound added when needed. A consultation is where that decision is made.
I have a family history of breast cancer. Is three-yearly screening enough?
That depends on how strong the history is. A significant family history can qualify you for enhanced NHS surveillance, sometimes starting earlier and running more frequently, and sometimes including MRI. It is worth raising with your GP for assessment against the national criteria rather than assuming either way.
Will my private medical insurance pay for screening?
Usually not. Most policies exclude routine screening for people without symptoms, while covering investigation of a symptom. If you have a symptom, check with your insurer, and expect to need a GP referral letter and pre-authorisation before they will settle an invoice.
Does a mammogram hurt?
It is uncomfortable rather than painful for most people, because the breast has to be compressed briefly to get a clear image. The compression lasts seconds per view. If you have tender breasts, booking in the week after a period rather than before it usually helps.
Related reading: Nipple Discharge Colours: Which Ones Need Urgent Assessment
Not sure which route is right for you?
A consultation is the fastest way to settle whether you need screening, surveillance or assessment — and which imaging actually suits your breast tissue.
Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Breast screening. “The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women from the age of 50 to 70 for screening every 3 years.”
- NHS — Breast screening (mammogram). how the programme works and what the appointment involves
- NICE CG164 — Familial breast cancer. the criteria for enhanced surveillance where there is a family history
- Cancer Research UK — Breast cancer symptoms. when a change needs assessment rather than screening
This article provides general information and does not replace personalised medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have a breast symptom that concerns you, arrange an assessment.
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