David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Nationals and Liberals in government are boosting investment in cancer care by appointing Cancer Care Associates to develop cancer services in the Manning-Great Lakes region. Access to radiotherapy services across the nation are being improved by this initiative. In the middle of my electorate is a really difficult spot. People needing access to radiotherapy services need to take a three-hour trip up to Port Macquarie or a three-hour return trip down to Newcastle. About one-third of the people with cancer in Australia live outside our major cities, and having better access to treatment will save lives and improve health outcomes for Australians living in regional areas. The $5 million investment for my community means that cancer patients in Forster, Tuncurry, Taree, Wingham and surrounding villages can access treatment closer to home. Because access to health care should not differ because of your postcode, this initiative is so important. There are 95,000 people across the Manning-Great Lakes region that don't have ready access to radiotherapy services, as I've mentioned. Knowing that they will now have this new regional treatment facility is great news for those patients.

The other major health development in our region is the adjacent Maitland Hospital, which is undergoing a $500 million redevelopment. Earlier this year, I got an update and inspected construction with Hunter New England Health. The new Maitland Hospital will offer a wider range of services for people of the Hunter region, delivering an additional 150 beds and extra treatment spaces to meet the growing healthcare needs of its communities. The hospital will provide emergency care, a rooftop helipad, 10 chemotherapy chairs, surgical services, critical care, maternity services, paediatrics, cardiac catheterisation, mental health services, palliative care, outpatient clinics and dental services. But, in that, there's space to grow. There might be a research collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Rotary have been working to get a Rotary Lodge. They have a vision to get one at the Maitland Hospital because all my constituents who live in the country areas north of Maitland will require that sort of facility. I've met with Trevor Lynch, Chair of the Maitland Health Committee. He is a Maitland Rotarian, and they have a vision that is united. People in all the rural communities—Dungog, Gloucester and the Upper Hunter—will have somewhere to stay during their radiotherapy or other medical treatment. It is a great initiative. Radiotherapy taken out to the regions will deliver better outcomes for regional people, including in the Lyne electorate.