BreastScreen Midland performed a record 33,000 screening mammograms in the financial year just ended – just over an eight per cent increase on two years ago.

Manager Clare Coles puts the increase down to a more consistent performance across the whole year rather than any specific projects. Lean thinking principles, which focuses on maximising patient care while minimising waste, also had a major impact on service delivery, she said.

“We’ve been very conscious that we needed to improve and we looked to our own processes and support from sub-contractors for that improvement.

“We took steps to arrange work areas to promote a safer and more organised work environment. That meant we valued both our staff and our patient’s time and the result is there to see.”

May was the most productive month in the service’s six-year history with 3588 mammograms performed. The Breast Care Centre at Waikato Hospital provides mammograms supported by three mobile breast screening units that visit every Waikato town and remote areas in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes DHBs.

But the news was not all good. The coverage of women aged 50-69 years was only 62 per cent - well short of the 70 per cent national goal.

“We’re disappointed about that but the reality for us is more women in the Midland area are registering for mammograms and it’s meant we’ve had to increase activity within our existing resources.”

Hauraki, Otorohanga and Waipa district council areas exceeded the 70 per cent goal for the period 1/6/2009 to 31/5/2011 while Hamilton achieved 64%.

Breast screening is a two yearly programme so the statistics are comparable with the 2008/09 year. This is important when comparing Māori and Pacific Island coverage as the uptake depends on where the mobile screening caravans travel and the proportion of Maori and Pacific Island women in those areas.

The volume of Māori women increased compared with two years ago but decreased by 223 across the Midland region compared with a year ago. The overall trend is that coverage is increasing and this increase is probably due to more phone call follow up of Maori women who did not respond to written invitation.

The same pattern is true of Pacific Island coverage, which is particularly dependent on whether the mobile has been in Tokoroa or not The increase from two years ago is mainly due to the more active involvement of non government organisations, K’Aute Pasifika and South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services, and Toi Ora PHO, which have had specific campaigns.

ENDS