BreastCheck mammography screening remains unavailable at Lloydminster Hospital, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, as staffing shortages leave women on both sides of the border without a local screening option.
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The health authority says the service is not currently being offered because of ongoing workforce challenges involving medical radiation technologists, the specialists who perform breast screening exams. Because the program is suspended rather than backlogged, there is currently no wait list for BreastCheck appointments at the Border City hospital.
That’s little comfort for the women who had hoped to get screened close to home. The BreastCheck program is delivered through a partnership between the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, and eligibility is typically based on age and risk factors rather than postal code — which means the gap falls hardest on patients who don’t have an easy way to travel for care.
Where to book a mammogram now
Patients eligible for the province’s breast cancer screening program are being offered appointments at one of seven permanent BreastCheck sites across Saskatchewan or through a mobile mammography unit, the health authority says.
The nearest permanent location for Lloydminster-area residents is North Battleford, where appointments are currently being booked into mid-to-late November. Patients with questions about rebooking or alternate sites are encouraged to contact BreastCheck directly through their referring provider.
The hospital’s screening gap comes as Saskatchewan has been shifting other parts of its cancer screening system, including a move toward digital screening reminders on the Alberta side of the border, part of a broader push to modernize how patients are notified and booked.
A mobile unit is planned for 2027
The health authority says expanding access to breast cancer screening remains a priority, and plans are underway to bring a BreastCheck mobile mammography unit to Lloydminster in 2027. Specific dates have not yet been finalized.
Recruitment and retention of health-care workers, including the medical radiation technologists needed to run breast screening exams, continues to be a key focus under the province’s Health Human Resource Action Plan. Lloydminster is among the communities eligible for recruitment incentives aimed at attracting qualified staff, the health authority says.
The screening gap is the latest strain on a hospital that has already seen equipment and capacity pressures this year, including the CT scanner running around the clock to keep up with demand, and comes amid broader, ongoing conversations between the two provinces about the future of health-care delivery at the Lloydminster Hospital.
For now, residents who need a mammogram are being directed to North Battleford or another permanent BreastCheck site while the health authority works to fill the staffing gap at home.
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