Hon Pete Hodgson
Minister of Health

4 December 2006

More mobile screening for Kiwi women

Three new mobile breast screening buses are ready to hit the road bringing the total number of mobile screening units to 11, Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today.

The new buses work out of BreastScreen Counties Manukau (Counties Manukau District Health Board), BreastScreen Midland (Waikato DHB) and BreastScreen HealthCare (Otago DHB).

"This is great news for women and reflects the Labour-led government’s commitment to continue building strong public health services," Pete Hodgson said.

"The Government has been working over the past two years to boost capacity to cater for this increased demand, and to increase the flexibility of when and how women can access services. Not everyone is able or feels comfortable going to screening site within a hospital complex."

The free breast screening service was extended in 2004, to cover women aged from 45 to 69.

New statistics from BreastScreen Aotearoa show that from when the programme was extended in June 2004, to June this year, the programme screened more than 294,000 women. This is a 42 per cent increase on the number of women screened over the same 24-month period to June 2004.

"Regular screening saves lives and with 11 buses on the road next year, screening up to 20 women a day each, it will mean more than 1000 women a week can get this free service through the mobile units alone."

ENDS

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