New BreastScreen Aotearoa clinic opens in west Auckland

A new BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA) clinic has opened to provide easy access for screening for west Aucklanders.

The official opening of the Kia Ū Ora BreastScreen NorthWest Clinic at Westgate was held in July by Waitematā DHB. The clinic replaces a screening-only facility on the grounds of Waitakere Hospital. The new facility is specifically designed to meet the needs of a fast-growing population and more centrally located to cater for those living in the DHB’s north-western reaches.

Deputy Chair Kylie Clegg said this is welcome news to women who’ve previously had to travel to the North Shore for a follow-up assessment after their initial mammogram results.

The new, easy-to-access facility brings both assessment and mammogram services under one roof – removing the cost and burden of a journey that, for some, might be a significant barrier to a potentially lifesaving early diagnosis.

“Swift detection is vital in our battle against breast cancer,” Waitematā Executive Director of Community services Tim Wood says. “We know that travel and distance are significant barriers for some of the women who need our care – which is why we’ve listened to their feedback and provided a combined, convenient screening and assessment service’.  

The DHB recently opened the Kia U Ora diagnostic breast service at North Shore Hospital earlier this year and is also home to the BreastScreen Waitematā Northland Regional centre in Takapuna.

BreastScreen Aotearoa is New Zealand’s free national breast screening programme for women aged between 45 and 69. More information on  the new service can be found on the Time to Screen website.