York's breast cancer screening service is fast approaching breaking point, with women waiting up to three months to find out if they have cancer.

Health chiefs admitted today that staff are working beyond the call of duty to keep the service running and warned that standards cannot be maintained for much longer without investment.

Women considered a priority are waiting an agonising two weeks for an initial screening at the specialist breast unit at York District Hospital, with less urgent cases finding themselves on a waiting list that can stretch to three months.

A help group for cancer patients in York today condemned the bleak situation and said it was unacceptable that women who found a lump were not able to find out more quickly whether it was benign or malign.

Dr Peter Kennedy, chief executive of the York NHS Trust, said: "We are getting close to the point at which standards can't be maintained.

"At the moment the staff are working very hard and beyond the call of duty in many instances."

He said the pressure on the service had increased over the years as more women and GPs realised the importance of screening.

Dr Kennedy said more investment was crucial to keep pace with growing demand, but claimed that York's waiting times were not out of line with other health trusts in the country.

He said the health service was waiting to see whether the Government would back its recent pledge to cut breast cancer referral times with extra cash.

York District Hospital recently improved its service with the introduction of a one-stop clinic for breast cancer patients, which offers same-day results. But the extent of demand means it can still take two weeks to get an appointment, even for urgent cases.

Mitzi Blennerhassett, secretary of Cancer Concern (York, Ryedale, Selby), said: "It is disgusting. Guidelines on breast cancer say women should expect swift referral to a specialist clinic. You just can't afford to hang about. It is a great killer. It devastates families.

There are so many women dying, leaving little children as well as husbands.

"The trust needs more money. The UK has the worst record in the world."

She said it was wrong for GPs to be in a position where they were determining whether cases were urgent or not. "You can't tell if it is urgent by just looking and feeling. You might be right but you need a full triple assessment at a specialist clinic to be sure," she said.

Alan Hartley, chairman of the Community Health Council, said: "The situation concerns us greatly. We just hope that things will improve."

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