Call BreastScreen Tasmania on 13 20 50
UPDATE MAY 13, 2026 – Impacts of the Health Department bungling of a replacement breast screening bus will unfortunately continue being felt perhaps into next year as delays over its procurement continue.
Women relying on the replacement bus being on the road by September, as promised by Health Minister Bridget Archer, now need to make other arrangements.
Please call BreastScreen Tasmania on 13 20 50 to sort an alternative screening.
The broken-down breast screen bus “Luna” which serviced the state’s south and east coast was finally taken off the road in April last year, after months of being carried around on the back of a truck and years of ongoing bungling to replace it.
I was briefed today by Ms Archer after calling on Monday for a delivery update.
Ms Archer clearly understood the problem, and I was left in no doubt she genuinely shares my extreme disappointment the delivery has been pushed out to December.
I also welcome Ms Archer accepting my suggestion, that given the problematic lead times, work commence on sourcing another (third) bus to replace the north’s mobile service “Ida”, now experiencing maintenance issues of its own.
This will add another bus to the existing schedule and assist in prolonging Ida’s lifespan and future-proof against any further issues, such as mechanical or equipment failure.
The mobile screening for regional women is an essential, lifesaving service.
The breast screening clinics in city centres are of course welcome.
But they do not replace the bus service that travels to meet rural and regional women where they live.
While Luna is off the road women have to travel long distances to their nearest clinic, or delay screening altogether.
People from the East Coast, the West Coast and in regional and rural Tasmania have had to travel great distances to access breast screening services.
Some women with work and caring commitments just aren’t easily able to do that, so I’m worried women will be missing out on lifesaving breast screening services.
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UPDATE MAY 11, 2026 – BREAST SCREEN BUS DELAYS CONTINUE … Can women needing a breast screen still rely on the replacement bus being available in September or do they need to plan and make other arrangements?
It’s beyond disappointing to hear the Department of Health say construction of a replacement breast screen bus is yet to commence, and the bus is expected to be ready “later this year”.
The broken-down breast screen bus Luna which serviced the state’s south and east coast was finally taken off the road in April last year, after months of being carried around on the back of a truck and years of bungling to replace it.
Disturbingly, a Department of Health spokesman told the ABC yesterday: “The delivery of a new bus screening unit is on track for completion later this year, with design and planning completed and construction to commence shortly.”
That’s a worry after Health Minister Bridget Archer in response to my question on 9 September last year told parliament the replacement breast screen bus was a priority for her, and her government was absolutely committed to the service.
“The replacement bus is now expected to be on the road in the next 12 months” Ms Archer told parliament at the time.
Soon after in a media release, Ms Archer repeated the deadline saying the government “anticipate[s] that it will be operational by September next year”.
Obviously, we need an urgent update on the delivery date for the replacement bus and question if we should be ordering another mobile service after the northern mobile unit “Ida” was out of service recently with a maintenance issue.
Can women needing a breast screen still rely on the replacement bus being available in September or do they need to plan and make other arrangements?
This is not a luxury service, this is a life-saving service and the government should hang their heads in shame.
It’s simply not good enough that we could have had a replacement bus service earlier but for the procurement bungling and now we are waiting more than 18 months with specific delivery date locked in. Ends
UPDATE: December 2025 – ABC Investigation reveals. Without a replacement for Luna, which screens about 5,500 women for breast cancer every year, the Health Department said “there is potential for an additional 30 to 50 delayed cancer diagnoses per annum” for women who do not access screening elsewhere.
While the department could not provide the latest figures when asked, a missed locations document shows that as of August 14, only 39 per cent of women whose appointments were cancelled in April had been rebooked.
Women whose breast cancer was detected through BreastScreen Australia have a 42% lower risk of death compared to those who have never been screened.
Early detection allows for cancers to be found when they are small and more treatable, leading to better survival outcomes and a reduced need for aggressive treatment like mastectomy.
The government should hang their heads in shame
This department is charged with caring for Tasmanians and their healthcare, and yet they failed to act and protect their staff and protect patients who are accessing the service.
We’re just very lucky that things weren’t a lot worse.
This is not a luxury service, this is a life-saving service and the government should hang their heads in shame.
It’s simply not good enough that we could have had a replacement bus service earlier this year with only three months of no service, but now we are waiting at least 18 months.
UPDATE: October, 2025. The government utterly failed Tasmanian women with its terrible bungle over the breast screen bus.
I will hold them accountable on their promise to deliver a replacement by September next year.
The mobile service will have been out of action for more than 18 months if the new bus arrives on time.
Our women deserve the very best breast screening service, and we know early detection saves lives.
In Short: It will be a very long time before the essential-service gap left by the retired mobile breast screening bus “Luna” is filled, either by one new bus (for which Health has withdrawn the tender) or until politicians keep an election promise to set up four stationary screening clinics.
Funny things happen during election campaigns, but women aren’t laughing about the ditching of a mobile breast screening clinic.
Last election, 14 days into the caretaker period and amid the noise of the campaign, The Department of Health on 28 February 2024 withdrew a tender for a new bus to replace the now broken down and retired breast screen bus “Luna” – which serviced the state’s south and east coast until few months ago.
There’s been no subsequent tender for a replacement bus.
In April this year, Luna was on her last legs.
Unroadworthy, the bus was being carried to screening locations on the back of a flat tray truck. That drew headlines.
Health Secretary Dale Webster told The Mercury funding had been allocated for a new bus and a procurement process was underway.
Technically he’s right. Funding was allocated – for the withdrawn tender.
And in the same April article, Mr Webster said a procurement process of some sort is underway – though there are no visible signs of that or any re-publishing of the withdrawn tender.
What is known is there is no new tender for a replacement bus – more than 12 months after the initial tender disappeared during the last election campaign.
And what’s the use of money allocated years before the withdrawn tender but not spent? What is going on?
I’m calling on whoever forms the next government, if they are genuine and serious about women’s health, to advertise within its first 100 days a tender for a replacement mobile breast screening service.