Raising the BAR: redesigning BreastScreen assessment to improve timely, equitable care

A big congratulations to the BreastScreen NSW South Eastern Sydney Illawarra (SESI) project team who have completed an Agency for Clinical Innovation Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Redesign with their project: ‘Raise the BAR (BreastScreen Assessment Redesign). The project has developed targeted solutions to improve the timeliness and delivery of diagnostic care.

Early detection through breast screening saves lives, but its impact depends on timely follow‑up of abnormal results. The national standard for recalling clients for an assessment is 28 days.

BreastScreen NSW SESI service is the busiest screening and assessment service in the state, screening over 70,000 clients and recalling more than 3,000 each year. Delays can lead to increased anxiety, reduced future screening participation and delayed diagnosis.

The Raise the BAR project aims to improve timeliness, consistency and sustainability by introducing a series of targeted solutions. These include a data‑driven scheduling tool, a client navigator role, and expanded workforce capacity through the training and recruitment of additional sonographers and breast physicians. Standardised imaging protocols, equipment upgrades and a piloted remote work‑up model are helping streamline clinical flow, particularly for clients with equivocal lesions.

To strengthen cultural safety, Aboriginal Health Workers and community representatives are central to co‑design, with assessment staff engaging in community events to build trust and improve communication.

Although evaluation is ongoing, early lessons highlight the need for bespoke solutions tailored to each site and the growing value of virtual care models. Ongoing client‑experience measurement remains essential to ensure efficiency gains continue to support high‑quality, equitable care.

Laura Hutchinson, BreastScreen SESI Director said the project has also benefited the service more generally:

“The completion of the project has brought practices of collaboration, information sharing, feedback provision and the opening to possibilities.”

Congratulations to the team: Philip Tran, Fiona Biniakos, Lauryn Harman and Margo Green.

24 February 2026