Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to appeal again to the Minister for Health and Ageing about an application that has been put forward under the very welcome announcement by the government in last May’s budget in regard to regional cancer centre funding. Going back to May last year, the minister made an announcement saying $560 million would be spent:

… to build a network of up to ten best-practice regional cancer centres and associated accommodation centres, to help close the gap in outcomes for cancer patients in rural and regional Australia. The centres will be selected following a national tender process open to both the public and private sectors—and may establish new—or enhance existing—regional centres. This will include a centre in Canberra to service the local community and south-east NSW.

We, the communities of the mid-North Coast of New South Wales, were very excited when we heard that news, because it fits in very nicely with some of the growth plans that we have in the provision of cancer services on the mid-north and north coasts. Therefore, following a range of meetings over the last six months, an application was put forward by the North Coast Cancer Institute. There are several parts to that application that I want to reaffirm for the minister and to the House this afternoon.

The first and most important step for our community is to get access to a second linear accelerator. A facility has been built in Port Macquarie, where one linear accelerator has been placed, with a second about two hours up the road at Coffs Harbour. Both locations work together in radiation oncology and the provision of cancer services. The demand that continues to come from a very broad catchment around both locations now sees Port Macquarie screaming for that second linear accelerator. The bunker has been built and we are now at the point where the machine is required. There are unacceptable delays at the moment for patients with particular types of cancer—rectal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. We are still too slow in the provision of those services, and families have to move out of town whilst those procedures take place. That is the first and most important request.

The second request that we have put forward is for a small amount of funding to assist in the recruiting of trainee medical oncologists and radiation oncology registrars to assist the cancer specialists within the North Coast Cancer Institute, but also to train the next generation of regional cancer specialists. The area at the moment is very focused on the importance of training and building a sustainable model for the future. Some small assistance in the recruiting of trainees would be an important step as part of providing regional cancer services throughout Australia.

The third, final and repeated request—and I know I am a bit of a broken record—of the government, the health minister, the Prime Minister and the executive generally relates to the Port Macquarie Base Hospital master plan and the urgent need for more beds to be provided. There are 161 beds for what is now a regional base hospital. It is a critical factor in the provision of any health service in our local area that more beds be made available. I once again ask for that to be considered as a third and critical step. In relation to cancer services, we are very lucky to have some specialists in gastrointestinal surgery, a liver surgeon, two colorectal surgeons, a breast surgeon, three urologists and four gynaecologists. It is disappointing that the beds are not there to back them up. (Time expired)

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