New public breast screening service for Cairns to reduce reliance on private sector

Cairns women will soon be able to access public diagnostic mammograms for symptomatic cases for the first time, as the Queensland Government brings breast screening in-house to reduce reliance on private providers.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls. Picture: Liam Kidston

Cairns women with symptoms of breast cancer can get public mammograms for the first time, with breast imaging brought in‑house at the Cairns South Health Facility in Edmonton by 2027.

New CT and MRI machines will also be installed at the new diagnostic imaging clinic, freeing up existing imaging machines at the Cairns Hospital for emergency cases.

The extra services would reduce the region’s long-standing reliance on the private sector, which health minister Tim Nicholls described as unpredictable and sometimes unable to meet demand.

Mr Nicholls said the new clinic would provide more services to women seeking care, particularly cancer care.

“Now we won’t be reliant on the volatility of the private sector when it comes to diagnostic services for breast screening,” he said.

The LNP government has committed $272 million statewide for six new MRIs and nine CT scanners, with Cairns South selected as one of the sites. Picture: Supplied.

The announcement comes after the Cairns Post launched its Critical Conditions campaign, which exposed life-threatening delays for women seeking breast cancer diagnostic services.

Earlier this year, women in Cairns faced a four-month delay for the service after one private provider stopped offering the service.

The coverage led to the reinstatement of breast cancer diagnostic services at Queensland X-ray and helped secure a $27.5 million bipartisan commitment for CQUniversity’s new Bachelor of Medical Imaging.

Construction of a new building to house the scanners is expected to begin after a tender process in early 2026, with the facility scheduled to open in 2027. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Nicholls said the expansion would relieve pressure on Cairns Hospital and give residents in the fast-growing region easier access to diagnostic care closer to home.

Barron River MP Bree James said quicker access to follow-up breast screening would make a “huge difference” for Far North Queensland women.

“Nothing is more scary than having an anomaly detected and then having to wait for another appointment,” she said.

“To be able to come here on the south side will be fantastic.”

Member for Barron River Bree James. Picture: Brendan Radke

The state government has committed $272m statewide for six new MRIs and nine CT scanners, with Cairns South selected as one of the sites.

Construction of a new building to house the scanners is expected to begin after a tender process in early-2026.

Mr Nicholls said the upgrades would “fill the gap” and meet the needs of a rapidly growing population.

Originally published as New public breast screening service for Cairns to reduce reliance on private sector