New Digital Platform To Help Women Detect Breast Cancer Earlier
Minister of Health
Around 135,000 women across New Zealand who are eligible but not currently enrolled for breast cancer screening will benefit from the successful national rollout of a new digital platform, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
'The launch of Te Puna across the country is a major step forward for delivering faster and smarter screening services,' Mr Brown says.
'Te Puna replaces an outdated legacy system with a modern, streamlined platform that makes it easier for women to enrol, book, and manage their breast screening appointments – helping more women get screened earlier.'
The new system, which began rolling out in February, is now live nationwide. It introduces a more proactive approach to screening, with women now automatically identified when they become eligible and invited to book a mammogram – shifting from an opt-in to an opt-out model.
'This change will significantly boost participation and help close the gap for the 135,000 eligible women who aren't currently getting screened.
'Early detection through regular mammograms is critical. Women diagnosed through screening are about 34 per cent less likely to die from breast cancer. This new system will make it easier for more women to get the checks they need, when they need them.'
Te Puna significantly enhances data tracking, accuracy, and reporting – helping providers identify and reach women who have never screened or don't screen regularly. It also improves convenience for patients, allowing women to book or change appointments using a secure personalised link or QR code sent via text, email, or letter.
'This Government is focused on lifting screening rates to save more lives and improve treatment outcomes. Te Puna will play a vital role in achieving that.
'We're also delivering on our commitment to extend breast screening to women aged 70 to 74, with rollout of the expansion beginning later this year.
'Every woman deserves the chance for early detection and timely treatment. Te Puna is about putting the right tools in place to deliver better care, faster – and ultimately, to save lives,' Mr Brown says.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
19 hours ago
- Scoop
New Digital Platform To Help Women Detect Breast Cancer Earlier
Minister of Health Around 135,000 women across New Zealand who are eligible but not currently enrolled for breast cancer screening will benefit from the successful national rollout of a new digital platform, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. 'The launch of Te Puna across the country is a major step forward for delivering faster and smarter screening services,' Mr Brown says. 'Te Puna replaces an outdated legacy system with a modern, streamlined platform that makes it easier for women to enrol, book, and manage their breast screening appointments – helping more women get screened earlier.' The new system, which began rolling out in February, is now live nationwide. It introduces a more proactive approach to screening, with women now automatically identified when they become eligible and invited to book a mammogram – shifting from an opt-in to an opt-out model. 'This change will significantly boost participation and help close the gap for the 135,000 eligible women who aren't currently getting screened. 'Early detection through regular mammograms is critical. Women diagnosed through screening are about 34 per cent less likely to die from breast cancer. This new system will make it easier for more women to get the checks they need, when they need them.' Te Puna significantly enhances data tracking, accuracy, and reporting – helping providers identify and reach women who have never screened or don't screen regularly. It also improves convenience for patients, allowing women to book or change appointments using a secure personalised link or QR code sent via text, email, or letter. 'This Government is focused on lifting screening rates to save more lives and improve treatment outcomes. Te Puna will play a vital role in achieving that. 'We're also delivering on our commitment to extend breast screening to women aged 70 to 74, with rollout of the expansion beginning later this year. 'Every woman deserves the chance for early detection and timely treatment. Te Puna is about putting the right tools in place to deliver better care, faster – and ultimately, to save lives,' Mr Brown says.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Construction begins on new $88 million mental health centre in Lower Hutt
Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER Construction has begun on a new $88 million mental health unit in Lower Hutt, which the government says will improve mental health outcomes for New Zealanders. The Sir Mark Dunajtschik Mental Health Centre will provide 34 adult acute inpatient beds - ten more than the existing Te Whare Ahuru. The government was investing $38 million in the construction of the facility, while $50 million was being donated by Wellington philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik. Sir Mark also donated $50 million towards the new Wellington Children's Hospital in 2017. This morning Health Minister Simeon Brown, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop all took part in a sod-turning ceremony to celebrate the start of a project. Doocey said Sir Mark's contribution would leave a legacy of hope and care that would benefit generations to come. He said the purpose-built centre would help ensure New Zealanders in distress receive timely, appropriate care. "This project is about more than bricks and mortar. It's about improving lives and delivering the mental health outcomes New Zealanders deserve," he said. Doocey said people experiencing severe distress deserved care in the right environment, at the right time. "It's not only better for them, but it also helps take pressure off our busy emergency departments," he said. "That's why mental health care must be underpinned by high-quality infrastructure that enables clinicians and support staff to deliver the safe, effective, compassionate care Kiwis deserve." Brown said it was an important milestone for Lower Hutt and the wider region. He said the new facility would be purpose-built to support modern models of care, which would help to deliver better outcomes for patients and their families. "It will also enhance the region's mental health infrastructure, offering safer, more therapeutic spaces for those in urgent need." The current Te Whare Ahuru acute inpatient unit was built in 1995. In 2021, it came under fire from the Chief Ombudsman for being not fit for purpose. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
New hospital waiting room
Now it is mid-year we are looking forward to seeing the promised action on the new Dunedin hospital inpatient building site. As the months have dragged on with little sign of life, it has been difficult not to feel uneasy about the project's progress. In April, Health Minister Simeon Brown said capping of the piles on the site would begin mid-year, followed by work on the perimeter of the basement to form the base for the substructure. The most recent move from the government, Mr Brown's announcement this month of the appointment of Evan Davies as Crown manager to oversee the delivery of the inpatient building, was bizarrely handled. The press release listed many of Mr Davies' former roles, including involvement with the Christchurch Hospital redevelopment. Curiously, it overlooked his chairmanship of the Dunedin hospital project's governance board for more than two years from 2020. Maybe acknowledging that did not fit with the government narrative the whole project has been bungled so far. Minutes from a June 2023 meeting of the hospital's Project Steering Group (PSG) Mr Davies chaired state he felt compelled to step down then because a work promotion had caused "an increase in workload". He had been promoted by gas and property company Todd to group chief executive. He still holds that position. Questions remain about his ability to give the new role the attention it needs, given that situation. It is not clear how much time the government expects him to spend as Crown manager, but he will be paid $2500 a day plus expenses for it. At his final PSG meeting in 2023, Mr Davies "wished everyone the best and good fortune" to complete the hospital build, adding that he considered it an "aspirational programme". It would be interesting to know whether, two years on, given the delays, the changes and the politicking, he would use a much stronger adjective. For those unfamiliar with the term Crown manager, it is a position specified in the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act. The minister can make such an appointment if he or she believes on reasonable grounds there is a risk to the operation or long-term viability of Health New Zealand. Before making the appointment, the minister has to give HNZ written notice of their intention and allow HNZ reasonable time (depending on the urgency of the situation) to respond. That information around this has not been released, but Mr Brown has said he believed on reasonable grounds the project posed a risk to the operation or long-term viability of HNZ given the size and scale of the project, the fiscal risks arising from the cost pressures on the project and the likely impact on health services if those cost pressures are not adequately addressed and delivery is further delayed. In the New Zealand Gazette notice of the appointment, Mr Brown blames HNZ for the project woes, saying it has struggled to maintain momentum on the project and identify a path forward following consistent cost pressure and extensions to the estimated delivery time for the project. These delays have also created delays and additional costs. Not surprisingly, there is no mention of the contribution last year's scaremongering on costs and political shenanigans, which led to changes to the project's scope, made to this debacle, or of their impact on the cost, delays and uncertainty for prospective contractors. It is hard to see how the government's beatings-will-continue-until-morale-improves approach to HNZ will be effective at attracting and retaining good staff there in the long run. In that regard, the government's enthusiasm for such overarching appointments should be closely monitored and evaluated. They may begin with a hiss and a roar (think health commissioner Lester Levy) but risk ending with much whimpering. It might be rather convenient for the government to have Mr Davies as a scapegoat, albeit a well-paid one, to blame if, as has been widely suggested, the project fails to come in on budget. Among Mr Davies' functions will be negotiating the final contract for the main works package of the inpatient building, along with delivering an implementation business case to Cabinet for approval within the next three months. Action cannot come soon enough.
