WBOP PHO, Huria Trust and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa team up to offer free clinics on Tauranga campus this September
September is Cervical Screening Awareness Month, a reminder of the importance of staying up to date with screening to prevent cervical cancer. To make it easier for more people to access care, WBOP PHO is running special screening clinics at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (TWOA) in Tauranga, offering eligible people free* cervical screening and HPV vaccinations in partnership with Huria Trust.
Gemma Pearson, Support to Screening Nurse at WBOP PHO, said creating opportunities in trusted community settings like TWOA is vital.
“Screening saves lives, but we know people often face barriers such as cost, time, or information in accessing services. Bringing clinics into familiar spaces makes a real difference. It’s about meeting people where they are and developing ongoing relationships and trust within the community.”
Regular Free Clinics in the Bay
Alongside these September special clinics at TWOA, regular cervical screening services are already available across the Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty:
Western Bay of Plenty
• Arataki Community Centre (Zambuk Way, Mount Maunganui)
First Tuesday of each month, 4pm–6.30pm
• Rangiora Health Hub (95 Sixteenth Avenue, Tauranga)
Wednesdays, 1pm–4pm (or by appointment)
• Huria Trust (1 Te Kaponga Street, Brookfield, Tauranga)
Monday to Friday, 9am–3pm
• Te Puke Community Centre (68 Commerce Lane, Te Puke)
By appointment only
Eastern Bay of Plenty
• Kahu Taurima (43 Domain Road, Whakatāne)
First, second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 10am–3pm
• Te Tai Community Hub (44 Tuhoe Street, Tāneatua)
Third Tuesday of the month, 10am–2pm
• Ōpōtiki Health Centre (32 King Street, Ōpōtiki)
Every second Wednesday, 11am–3pm
New Cervical Screening Support Page
WBOP PHO is also launching a new Cervical Screening Support webpage in September. Designed for the Bay of Plenty community, the page will make it easier for eligible people who are overdue or under screened to connect with the service through a simple online form, alongside the existing 0800 920 033 number. It will also provide resources, clinic details, and clear information on eligibility and support for those facing barriers to screening. The page will soon be available at www.wboppho.org.nz.
*Who Can Get Free Cervical Screening
Cervical screening is not free for everyone. You are eligible for free screening if you are:
- Māori or Pacific, aged 25 to 69
- Aged 25 to 69 and have a Community Services Card
- Aged 30 or older and have:
- Never had a cervical screening test, or
- Not had a cervical screening test in the last 5 years
- Not had an HPV test in the last 7 years
- Aged 70 to 74 and haven’t had:
- Two normal results between ages 62–69, or
- A negative HPV result in the last 5 years
- Due for follow-up screening
- In need of support to specialist services
This includes women, trans men, non-binary and intersex people who have a cervix.
