Breast screening services in Perth’s northern suburbs are set to receive a significant boost with a $4.4 million funding injection announced in the 2026-27 State Budget.
Expanded Capacity at Joondalup Clinic
The funding will support expanded capacity at the BreastScreen WA Joondalup clinic through additional service days. It will also contribute to establishing a long-term expansion strategy for the service in Perth’s northern corridor.
Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton emphasized the importance of accessible screening services. “We know early detection saves lives, which is why we’re expanding services, boosting capacity, and making it easier for thousands more Western Australian women to access free breast screening,” Ms Winton said.
“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.”
Additional Funding for BreastScreen WA
The $4.4 million brings the total additional funding for BreastScreen WA to $8 million, following the State Government’s February announcement of $3.7 million to support its mobile screening service and the fit-out of its purpose-built Bunbury clinic.
The extra funding will enable continued staffing of the mobile service, allowing 5,000 women to be screened annually.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. About 3,300 people in Australia die from breast cancer each year. However, with research in prevention, early detection, and improved treatments, the death rate from breast cancer in Australia has reduced by more than 40 percent since 1994.
BreastScreen WA Services
BreastScreen WA provides more than 130,000 free screening mammograms every year. Since it was established in 1989, the program has delivered more than three million screening mammograms across Western Australia.
Screening mammograms can detect breast cancer before any changes to breast tissue can be seen or felt.
BreastScreen WA’s Joondalup clinic opened in May 2022 and is located off Joondalup Drive in Edgewater. Appointments can be booked by calling 13 20 50 or online at breastscreen.health.wa.gov.au.
