28/09/2026
This is Great news for Rotorua, Taupo and Hawkes bay
BREAKING: A trial for a lung cancer screening programme has just been announced by the Minister of Health on tonight's episode of Paddy Gower Has Issues ๐ฃ
Simeon Brown says that Health New Zealand have agreed to start a trial mid-2027 in Hawke's Bay, Rotorua, and Taupล, that will run for four years. The trial will include a mobile CT scanner that will go out into the community, much like how mobile units are used for breast screening across the motu.
It's estimated that around 8000 screenings will be made over the four year trial period, which will save about 50-60 lives each year.
This is exciting news as it marks the first step towards a national lung cancer screening programme that we've been strongly advocating for. Too many New Zealanders are dying to lung cancer each year, and it's about time we start the process of implementing a nationwide programme to screen for lung cancer and save more lives.
A massive thank you to Patrick Gower for highlighting this very important issue, and for fighting for this screening programme alongside the Foundation ๐
If you'd like to see the full announcement on Paddy Gower Has Issues, you can watch the episode for free on ThreeNow.
