Hon Pete Hodgson
Minister of Health

25 July 2007 Media Statement

Increased breast screening capacity will save lives

Health Minister Pete Hodgson has welcomed news New Zealand's free mobile breastscreening programme, BreastScreen Aotearoa, has resumed advertising after a three-year break.

A previous advertising campaign stopped in April 2004 when an extension of the successful programme - from 50-64 years to 45-69 years – meant almost twice as many women became eligible for free screening.

From 1 January 2005 to the end of December 2006, a total of 309,899 women in those age groups were screened, an almost 40 percent increase over the same period two years before.

Facilities and workforce pressures meant advertising stopped for a time but with and additional two new providers in Auckland and additional three mobile screening vans – bringing the total number covering the country to 11 - Pete Hodgson is urging women to take advantage of this vitally important service.

“Quite simply, screening saves lives and with another advertising campaign now underway I urge women to make sure they get their regular checks,” Pete Hodgson says.

Other initiatives to ensure as many women as possible get regular breast screening include:

- Service agreements that fund the transport of Mâori and Pacific women to screening sites

- Increasing the flexibility of screening hours available so that screening can occur at times that better suit Mâori and Pacific women - i.e. Saturday afternoons and after hours

- Making the BSA 0800 number free to cellphones

- Piloting new ways of working with GPs to increase referrals to the service

- A national and international recruitment scheme for Medical Radiation Technologists (MRTs) and Radiologists

- Building of three new purpose built breast screening facilities: BreastScreen Coast to Coast at Midcentral DHB, BreastScreen Central at Hutt Valley DHB, and BreastScreen HealthCare at Otago DHB

ENDS

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