Page 4972 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video

(b) steps that can be taken to meet that demand; and

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.30): I will speak on behalf of the Chief Minister who, regrettably, is unable to be here this morning due to her commitments to farewell Her Majesty as she leaves Canberra today.

I would like to first of all thank Dr Bourke for moving this important motion. As members have already commented, pink ribbon month is a chance for the whole community to play a part in raising awareness of breast cancer. It is also a chance to help raise money to support the efforts of governments, researchers, the medical fraternity and the myriad community organisations involved in research, treatment and support. Breast cancer needs to be tackled from every direction. It is not just about the elusive cure. It is also about awareness, preventive health, early intervention, treatment options, research, and support for those affected—for their families as well as for patients themselves.

The community has embraced pink ribbon month with much enthusiasm, and if we look at some of the activities that are made possible as a result of the fundraising, it is easy to see why.

The division of Capital Region Cancer Service provided more than 53,000 occasions of outpatient care and over 3,800 occasions of in-patient care last financial year. BreastScreen, which offers screening to women who are symptom-free, conducted over 11,000 screenings in the territory over the course of the last financial year. And members may recall that from July this year, BreastScreen ACT became a stand-alone service, after operating for 18 months as a combined ACT and New South Wales regional screening service. It is hoped that this role change will result in more women in the target age group of 50 to 69 using the service. Last financial year 53 per cent of women in the age bracket had been screened in the previous 24 months.

In 2010 the Health Directorate signed a $2 million contract with the Swedish IT and medical technology company Sectra to update the local BreastScreen service with the latest digital screening technology. Digital mammography machines and a digital picture archiving system have replaced the traditional analog machines. This investment is part of the Labor government’s commitment to expanding e-health services. But it is also about seizing opportunities to ensure that Canberrans have access to the latest and safest healthcare technologies. This new digital mammography equipment not only produces higher quality images but also lowers the radiation exposure for women being screened. The next stage of the upgrade project will be the incorporation of a business information system, which will enable the electronic transfer of digital images between clinics and medical professionals. This is expected to be operational by the middle of next year.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video