The WA Government has provided a further $4.4 million boost for BreastScreen WA to help more Western Australians access this vital service across the state.
The funding injection, allocated as part of the 2026-27 State Budget, brings the Cook Labor Government’s total additional funding for BreastScreen WA to $8 million.
The $4.4 million investment will support the continuation of extra services in Western Australia’s northern corridor and help establish a long-term expansion strategy.
Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton said it was important that people could access the service regardless of where they lived.
“Every woman, no matter where she lives, deserves access to lifesaving screening, and that is exactly what the Cook Labor Government is delivering with this further $4.4 million investment in BreastScreen WA,” the Minister said.
“We know early detection saves lives, which is why we are expanding services, boosting capacity, and making it easier for thousands more Western Australian women to access free breast screening.
“From additional service days in Joondalup to continued investment in mobile screening across regional WA, this funding is about equity and ensuring women in every corner of our state can access the healthcare they need, when they need it.”
The additional funding builds on a $3.7 million increase announced in February to support BreastScreen WA’s mobile screening service and the fit-out of its purpose-built Bunbury clinic.
This funding will enable the continued staffing of the mobile service, allowing around 5,000 women to be screened each year. A fifth mobile screening service was launched in 2024 to improve access in rural and remote communities, as well as metropolitan areas without a nearby fixed clinic.
BreastScreen WA is a free early detection screening program available to women aged over 40 who do not have breast cancer symptoms.
A screening mammogram can detect breast cancer before changes to breast tissue can be seen or felt. Since its establishment in 1989, BreastScreen WA has delivered more than three million screens across Western Australia. It is estimated that one in seven women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.
Minister for Women Simone McGurk encouraged women to participate in regular screening.
“One in seven women is at risk of developing breast cancer, which is why accessible and timely screening services are so important,” Minister McGurk said.
Last year LGBTIQA+ community leader Michelle Rogers shared her journey with breast cancer, and how her family have had to deal with tragic outcomes of a cancer diagnosis in the past. Michelle has since made a full recovery and been appointed as the chair of Rainbow Futures WA.
