Sunshine Coast women now have access to Queensland’s first state-of-the-art Lighting and Sensory Distraction Suites for regular and follow-up breast screens.
Wishlist funded $25,000 towards sensory lighting and images projected on walls and ceilings within the suites at Nambour Hospital to make a more comfortable breast screen experience for women.
BreastScreen Sunshine Coast’s Medical Director Dr Alison Roper said women sometimes put off having a mammogram because they think the experience might be unpleasant.
“We want women to have a more agreeable experience because it is so important women have a regular breast screen every two years” Dr Roper said.
“If a cancer can be found in its early stages it gives a woman more treatment options and significantly increases the chances of the treatment being successful.”
The new Lighting and Sensory Distraction Suites assists in calming and distracting women during assessment procedures, and patients can choose music and landscapes captured by local photographer Ross Eason.
The funding was made possible by the Wishlist Melbourne Cup 2019 event sponsored by Spire Law, BDO and T-Shop Biz, and Buderim Foundation.
Wishlist CEO Lisa Rowe said Wishlist had also recently placed an order for a lateral arm accessory for breast biopsy patients at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, worth $15,000.
“I have been told this equipment will improve lesion access, improve patient comfort and biopsy efficiency on breast cancer patients,” Ms Rowe said.
Currently only 56 percent of women aged 50-74 on the Sunshine Coast have a regular breast screen every two years. It is hoped that, in response to the new therapeutic suites, the breast screening rates in will increase to meet the national accreditation standard of 70 percent.
To make an appointment for a free breast screen call 13 20 50 or visit breastscreen.qld.gov.au.
