Calling Skin Screening Volunteers – Join the Lions Cancer Trust Mobile Bus in Rural NZ

The Lions Cancer Trust Mobile Skin Screening Bus is travelling across Aotearoa, bringing free skin checks to rural communities — and they’re looking for volunteer clinicians to help make it happen. GPs, nurse practitioners, and dermoscopy-trained nurses can donate just a day or two of their time each year to have a huge impact on people’s lives by helping catch skin cancers early.

Melanoma has long been called New Zealand’s “hidden epidemic.” With some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, the need for accessible early detection is pressing – particularly in rural areas, where distance, cost, and a “she’ll be right” attitude often delay people from seeking care until it is too late.

To meet this challenge, the Lions Cancer Trust launched its first Mobile Skin Screening Bus earlier this year, inspired by a programme that has been running successfully in Australia for nearly 25 years. The New Zealand service began with its inaugural clinic in Hanmer Springs in March and is now travelling to rural towns and districts around the South Island.

The model is simple but effective: hosted by Lions Clubs or community groups, the bus provides free skin checks by qualified medical professionals. If a suspicious mole or lesion is found, patients are referred back to their GP for further investigation. The aim is not to replace primary care but to reduce the barriers that stop people from having a check in the first place.

Janet Walmsley, who coordinates the bus’s operations, says the service has already revealed the need it is meeting.

“Farmers are notorious for leaving things until the last minute,” she says. “We know that if melanoma is caught early, treatment is far less invasive, less costly, and outcomes are significantly better. The bus is about making those first checks easy and accessible for people who otherwise might never book one.”

Cost is a major barrier. At many practices, a full skin check costs upwards of $100, while private providers charge significantly more. For rural families juggling rising living costs, that makes preventative care a low priority. The Lions bus removes this hurdle by offering the service free of charge.

The first two clinics, held in Hanmer Springs and Lincoln, screened 58 people. Of those, 24 were referred back to their GP for further checks, a referral rate of around 41%. By comparison, the established Australian programme has referral rates of 21–27%.

Among the first screened was Paul O’Connor, Chair of the Lions Cancer Trust and the driving force behind the initiative. He admits he would not otherwise have pursued a private skin check. His screening led to two biopsies, later confirmed as basal cell carcinomas, followed by minor surgery at his local GP practice.

“Paul’s story really validated everything he had believed and worked so hard for,” says Walmsley. “It showed the bus could make a genuine difference, even from day one.”

Since Hanmer Springs, the bus has been building a calendar of visits to A&P shows, Fieldays, and community events. Next month, it will cross Cook Strait for its first North Island tour, with the long-term vision of having one bus based in each island.

But while demand is strong, the service faces a critical challenge: finding enough qualified clinicians to staff the bus. Volunteer doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses with dermoscopy training are essential, but not always easy to find.

“Some clinics and skin centres worry about losing business,” Walmsley explains. “But the reality is that these are people who would not have had a skin check otherwise. GPs actually benefit, because patients are then referred back for follow-up treatment.”

To keep the wheels turning, the Trust is calling on suitably qualified skin screeners to donate a day or two of their time each year.

“If someone volunteers just one or two days, that can make an enormous difference,” says Walmsley.

“The bus will move around the country, so the time commitment is small—but the impact on people’s lives is huge.”

A national database of screeners is being developed to make rostering easier. The Trust is also encouraging communities to invite the bus to local events and help host its visits.

With a second bus soon to be in production and growing community interest, the Lions Cancer Trust Mobile Skin Screening Bus has the potential to become a fixture in rural health outreach. Its success, however, depends on two things: communities opening their doors, and clinicians volunteering their skills.

For rural New Zealand, the bus represents more than convenience, it represents equity. By removing barriers and catching cancers early, it brings lifesaving care closer to home.

If you are a GP, nurse practitioner, or dermoscopy-trained nurse interested in volunteering, or if your community would like to host the bus, please email Janet Walmsley, at admin@lionscancertrust.nz to get involved.