It’s deeply concerning that the government’s breast screening bus will continue to be unavailable to Tasmanian women for more than a year. The free mobile breast screening service ensured rural Tasmanian women could equitably access to early cancer detection screening.
This is vital given breast cancer is one of the most common cancer affecting Tasmanian women, with some forms being highly aggressive. This means that a six-month delay between medical appointments can be the difference between an early treatable diagnosis and a life-threatening stage 4.
News that the BreastScreen bus could be unavailable for another twelve months is incredibly concerning. I have been contacted by countless concerned women, some from the Break O’Day area who say their lives were saved by early detection at the visiting Breastscreen Bus. These women were not otherwise able to travel to Launceston for screening.
It’s good to hear that the new government is offering additional transport options to help women attend breast screening appointments. But this is going to leave women having to travel long distances to access vital healthcare and the reality is that many women cannot afford to take hours or even days off work to attend an appointment.
It’s unacceptable that replacement of the BreastScreen bus was not prioritised earlier by the Rockliff Government. It’s vital the Liberal Government do everything possible to ensure a Breastscreen Bus is back on the road as soon as possible so rural women can access the healthcare they need.
