Labor candidate pushes for permanent breast screening clinic in Albany

Labor candidate for Albany Rebecca Stephens is renewing a push to have a free and permanent breast screening clinic built at the Albany Health Campus.

Ms Stephens, pictured, has launched an online petition calling for a BreastScreen WA clinic for Albany to enable local women to access free screening mammograms all year round.

The BreastScreen WA mobile clinic is parked up at the Albany Agricultural Centre on Cockburn Road until October 26.

All women aged 40 or over are eligible for a free scanning mammogram to help detect early signs of breast cancer.

Mammograms can detect 70-90 per cent of breast cancers, even those as small as a grain of rice — too small for a doctor to feel. The screenings take 20 minutes.

Four mobile BreastScreen WA vans hit the road every two years to reach women in about 100 rural towns.

There are 11 permanent screening clinics in WA, including one regional clinic in Bunbury.

Ms Stephens said the need for a permanent clinic in Albany had been raised by many women in her community and she supported their call.

“It is important to have a permanent clinic so local women can access the service when they need it,” she said.

“With the screening-age population growing, the visiting mobile van is simply no longer a viable option.

“We’ll make all of our commitments known in the lead-up to the election, I’ve been fighting for this facility on behalf of Albany women for some time and I’ll continue to raise this issue with my WA Labor colleagues.”

Bookings for a free screening mammogram at the van in Albany can be made online at breastscreen.health.wa.gov.au or over the phone on 13 20 50.

To access the petition visit, https://bit.ly/2FyFHZl.