An affluent London borough has the lowest screening rates in England for some types of cancer, with the NHS partially blaming second homeowners and people moving addresses frequently.
A report by NHS England shows Kensington and Chelsea ranked last in the nation for breast cancer and cervical cancer screening rates and second last for bowel cancer checks in 2024. Between 2023 and 2024, the borough’s average breast cancer screening rate for 53 to 70-year-olds was 46pc, a staggering 16pc lower than the London average of 61pc, and 24pc lower the England average of 69pc.
The borough’s bowel cancer and cervical cancer fared only slightly better. During the same period, average screening rates for cervical cancer lagged behind the London-wide rate by 15pc in 25 to 49-year-olds and 50 to 64-year-olds, hovering around 43pc and 46pc respectively. It is 19pc and 23pc lower than the England average respectively for those two age groups.
The West London borough ranked second worst in the country for bowel screenings, beating Westminster City by one percent to register an average of 53pc. That is 10pc lower than the London average and 18pc lower than the England-wide average, the data shows.
In fact, Kensington and Chelsea’s breast screening coverage rate fell 10pc between 2019 and 2024 and had dipped to a 14-year low of 34pc in 2023. Despite this, bowel cancer screening between 60 and 74-year-olds during the same period increased by 12per cent from 41pc to 53pc.
The report on cancer screening outcomes said areas that are ethnically diverse and deprived tend to have lower coverage rates. Kensington and Chelsea appears to have bucked that trend.
The report read: “RBKC (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea), despite being relatively affluent, has the lowest coverage rates in England. This is partly attributable to population mobility (approx. 30pc of population change address/year) resulting in GP list inflation, incorrect addresses on GP systems resulting in missed screening invitations, higher rates of private healthcare (and screening), higher than average proportion of residences being second homes or residents spending a significant proportion of the year outside the UK.”
The report also said screening in London was the lowest in the country when compared to other regions. Despite this, Kensington and Chelsea registered a 1pc increase in cervical cancer screenings between 2023 and 2024 while bowel cancer screenings remained unchanged.
Breast cancer checks also rose from 34pc to 46pc, marking one of the largest increases in England however the rate remains the lowest in England despite the jump. The report also found Black and Black British groups have the highest cervical screening coverage in Kensington and Chelsea.
People who do not speak English as a first language have higher cervical screening coverage than first language English speakers. The council said it is working with partners like the NHS’ Cancer Alliance to improve outcomes for residents in the borough.
This includes extending appointment hours, providing digital bookings, accessible screen information in multiple languages and creating pan-London breast and bowel screening call centres for queries and appointments.
It will also start sending text reminders and run social media campaigns to raise awareness. The report read: “NHS England London has committed to eliminating cervical cancer by 2040 through improving cervical cancer screening and HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination rates. The region, in partnership with alliances, will introduce cervical self-screening in selected practices in 2025.”
All Covid-related backlogs were cleared in 2022 and 2023. Kensington and Chelsea councillors will discuss the findings during a meeting on Tuesday, April 29.
