icare safeguards NSW workers with new Lung Health Mobile Clinic
<p>icare has launched a new, state-of-the-art Lung Health Mobile Clinic, which has embarked on its inaugural road trip to deliver lung health checks to individuals across NSW.</p>
<p>The new mobile clinic continues the legacy of a bus that has served the community for nearly 16 years, travelling more than 700,000km (almost to the moon and back), screening more than 53,000 people, and visiting over 300 destinations across NSW.</p>
<p>Each year, the program provides lung health checks to more than 5,000 people, ensuring early detection and treatment of dust diseases like asbestosis, silicosis, and mesothelioma.</p>
<p>Minister for Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis MP, said the new Mobile Clinic underscores the NSW Government’s commitment to removing barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to the critical support and care they need to safeguard their health.</p>
<p>“Along with enforcement of the recent ban on engineered stone, the new Mobile Clinic demonstrates our commitment to improve outcomes for workers exposed to hazardous dust across NSW.”</p>
<p>icare’s new Mobile Clinic is equipped with advanced technology and features including:</p>
<p>• Digital chest X-ray technology, providing precise and reliable first instance imaging.</p>
<p>• Enhanced spirometry (lung function) testing equipment to evaluate breathing capacity and respiratory performance.</p>
<p>• Digital monitoring systems to streamline diagnostics and care.</p>
<p>• A backup power supply to ensure uninterrupted operation in remote locations.</p>
<p>• Greater accessibility and comfort, with larger clinical space designed to support both staff and clients.</p>
<p>• An external design, created to help engage and welcome workers, and an interior mural by Mumbulla Creative - an Indigenous agency whose artwork reflects connection to Country, icare’s values and the people of NSW.</p>
<p>icare urges anyone with past or present occupational exposure to hazardous dust - such as through mining, tunnelling, construction, or manufacturing - to prioritise their lung health.</p>
<p>“A lung health check could save your life,” said icare Group Executive of General Insurance and Care, Britt Coombe. “Early detection is critical to effective treatment, and we’re here to make sure every worker, no matter where they live, has access to world-class care.”</p>
<p>Lung health checks are painless, and take less than 30 minutes. The process includes:</p>
<p>1. <strong>Chest X-ray</strong> to detect abnormalities or damage.</p>
<p>2. <strong>Lung function testing</strong> to assess respiratory performance.</p>
<p>3. <strong>Consultation</strong> with a specialist doctor, who interprets results and provides tailored advice.</p>
<p>4. <strong>Referral</strong> for CT scan, as required to get a better image of the chest and lungs.</p>
<p>Individuals are encouraged to contact icare directly, and the Dust Diseases Care team can help facilitate and fund lung health checks through local services, at icare’s Sydney CBD Kent Street clinic, icare’s lung bus, or organise transport should that be a barrier to screening in more remote locations.</p>
<p>icare’s lung screening program adheres to the national guidance for doctors assessing workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust set by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, ensuring the highest standards of care for detecting and managing respiratory diseases.</p>
<p>A clinical governance committee continually reviews emerging evidence on best-practice and makes recommendations to ensure icare delivers screening aligned with national standards.</p>
<p>icare’s new Mobile Clinic underscores its commitment to removing barriers like cost and location, ensuring workers across NSW have access to the critical support and care they need to safeguard their health.</p>
<p>For more information on lung health checks or to arrange a screening, visit the <a href="https://www.icare.nsw.gov.au/employers/employer-obligations/lung-screening-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lung Screening Service website</a> or call 1800 550 027.</p>
<p><em>Image credits: Supplied</em></p>
