Urgent search for Newquay breast screening site as service faces uncertainty

The hunt is on to find a new home for breast screening in Newquay, with patients potentially needing to travel to Truro if a site isn’t secured.

The Cornwall Breast Screening Programme says it has been unable to secure a viable location for its mobile unit after more than a year of searching, ahead of its planned return in autumn 2027.

Bosses say Morrisons is no longer a viable option due to restrictions during peak holiday periods, meaning the mobile unit cannot remain on site for the required three months. Other locations, including Cubert Village Hall, have also been ruled out because delivery vehicles cannot safely access the sites.

Without a local base, patients in the Newquay area would be required to travel to the Mermaid Centre in Truro for mammograms.

The programme says it needs a large, level site with wide access for an HGV, space for patient parking, a utility hook-up, and availability for three months every three years.

Anyone aware of a business, sports club, school or landowner in Newquay who could host the mobile unit is being asked to contact the Programme Director directly via the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust.