StSS for breast screening services

Kia ora koutou,
I hope you have all been managing well during the last 4 weeks. What an interesting time it’s been!
At Govt Alert Level 3, screening is to recommence as it is deemed an essential preventative service by MoH. We are looking to turn the tap on slowly within BreastScreen Midland and are currently finalising a detailed plan on what that might look like for us to start up in this new working environment. 

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We are clearing all assessments in the next couple of weeks plus starting to schedule and rebook appointments. We will be extending appointment times out to reduce any potential public contact and will adhere to social distancing rules. We will continue to ask relevant COVID-19 screening questions as we did pre-lockdown and front line staff will be using ‘light’ level PPE in line with infection control advice. We plan to start mobile unit revisits on 11 May and will gauge their usage which will allow us to decide if they are efficient to be operational during level 3. The sites we will visit will be Thames and Coromandel. We envisage returning to Kawerau after those sites should they be attended to a level that’s practical.
As part of the plan, we are keen to hear from you what you are looking to do/ provide by way of Support to Screening Services and what capacity do you have to provide this? This will help us to determine what work we need to keep ‘in-house’ and what level of activity we can send your way.
If you could let Angela Wheadon know, so we can factor in your planned activity with ours, that would be great.
Ngaa mihi
Shona Duxfield

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