All four new mobile breast screening units have been delivered, adding capacity to screen more women a year as free screening expands, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Women's Minister Nicola Grigg say.

"These units are a key part of making sure services can manage demand as free screening is extended to eligible women aged 70 to 74 by 2028," Mr Brown says.

"Because they're mobile, they also take screening directly to women where they live, from provincial centres to small towns and rural communities, making it easier for more women to get screened."

The four new units, which bring the national mobile screening fleet to 14, have gone to:

Each unit is expected to screen around 5,000 women every year and is fitted with a mammography machine, IT equipment to transmit images, and an internal waiting area.

The Waitematā Northland unit is the only "self-drive" mobile screening unit in New Zealand. Staff can move it themselves rather than relying on a transport company to tow it, so it can get to more locations. It is also shorter and easier to manoeuvre than traditional semi-trailer units, which means it can reach places that have been difficult to service in the past, such as Russell and parts of the Hokianga, including Panguru.

"Northland has many rural and geographically isolated communities, and we know travel can be a significant barrier to breast screening.

"Because this unit can go where larger mobile units can't, women in some of our most remote communities will no longer have to travel long distances to a fixed clinic or the nearest mobile unit to get screened."

Alongside the mobile units, four new or redevelopment sites have been established in Whangārei, Takapuna, Greenlane, and Kāpiti. The Counties Manukau site is due to be completed this month.

The age extension will make approximately 120,000 more women aged 70 to 74 eligible for free screening over time. The national rollout began in October 2025 with women aged 70, as well as those aged 74, and expands each October, with women aged 71 included from next month, followed by those aged 72 and then 73 over the next few years.

"Extending free screening to women aged 70 to 74 gives thousands more women the chance to have breast cancer detected early," Ms Grigg says.

"Since the rollout began, 42,768 women in the new age groups have been invited and 24,470 have already been screened.

"In that time, 339 breast cancers in the new age group have been detected – cancers that might otherwise not have been found until much later, when treatment can be more complex. That's why I encourage every eligible woman to book her mammogram as soon as her invitation arrives.

"The breast screening age extension is one of several changes we're making to improve health outcomes for women. Last month we announced new guidelines so GPs can diagnose endometriosis without women first needing surgery, and from 1 March 2027 cervical screening will be free for all eligible women.

"We're committed to delivering real improvements for women, and these initiatives are all about making sure they get the care they need, sooner."