Women face delays for breast screenings at Landspítali in Iceland

Women seeking breast screenings at Landspítali in Iceland face significant delays, with waiting times extending to three months. This duration surpasses the previously shorter waiting times experienced when screenings were managed by the Cancer Society, which maintained a window of three to four weeks.

Eva Björg Valdimarsdóttir, who received an invitation for a screening, criticized the booking system for being inaccessible and inflexible. She noted that women eager to participate in screenings are often deterred by long wait times and scheduling issues. If a woman must cancel her appointment, she is faced with rebooking and an additional two-month wait, resulting in an overall delay of about five months from the initial invitation to the actual appointment.

Statistics reveal that only 52% of women invited for screenings in 2022 took up the offer, highlighting a significant gap in participation, despite ongoing encouragement from health authorities.

Kristjana Guðrún Guðbergsdóttir, head of the breast center at Landspítali, acknowledged the long wait times compared to other Nordic countries. She indicated that efforts are underway to modify the booking process, allowing women to receive assigned slots rather than having to schedule themselves. This change is seen as a potential way to increase attendance rates.

Addressing the urgent need for improvement, Kristjana expressed that there is a clear demand from women for a more flexible and efficient booking system.