NICOLA Sturgeon has announced that several NHS screening programmes will be suspended across Scotland to cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

These include breast, cervical and bowel screening.

She said the decision “was not taken lightly” and was based on recommendations from the chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood and NHS National Services Scotland.

The First Minister said the move would “maximise the ability of the NHS to cope in the coming weeks”.

Dr Calderwood said screening for pregnant women and for newborn babies would continue as normal.

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