Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the last election the Albanese Labor government made a commitment to support ongoing cancer services at the W.P. Holman Clinic in Launceston. This was a great announcement, and I'm pleased that the Albanese Labor government is providing cancer survivors and their families who are living in northern Tasmania access to specialised support from a consultant nurse after their treatment has ended. Such care is fundamental for the ongoing physical and mental health of patients post cancer treatment. The Albanese government is providing $583,000 to the W.P. Holman Clinic, at the Launceston General Hospital, to develop and implement a three-year pilot project of care for cancer survivors. The nurse consultant will provide specialist clinical advice to patients and their families—something cancer survivors deserve during and after treatment. The support will link patients to GPs and other healthcare professionals as well as local resources, including psychological care and community support.

It must be noted that the W.P. Holman Clinic is one of the state's leading cancer treatment clinics. Follow-up services and clinics for cancer survivors improve patients' emotional health and continuity of care, leading to better long-term health outcomes and self-reported quality of life. The care will be based on the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia's principle of care for survivors, emphasising care that is accessible, equitable and integrated across all service levels.

The Northern Tasmanian Regional Priority Project will aim to provide evidence of these benefits to guide more widespread use of specialised nurse support for cancer survivors, and hopefully we will learn how these types of services can benefit other communities across Australia. The project is one of a number of election commitments the Albanese Labor government is delivering for Northern Tasmania, including a Medicare urgent-clinic at the Launceston Medical Centre, which commenced seeing patients on 31 July this year. All reports have indicated that the clinic is working well and relieving pressure currently on staff and resources at the Launceston General Hospital.

I'd like to acknowledge the Minister for Health, Mark Butler, and all his work in relation to the commitment to the Holman clinic. Cancer patients often experience physical and mental issues that continue after their cancer goes into remission and acute treatment ends. Better support for Australians with cancer, especially those in rural and regional areas, is a high priority for the Albanese Labor government. This funding will help cancer survivors to manage their symptoms and connect with local supports and will ensure that their doctor understands the ongoing challenges they face. As a government we wholeheartedly care about the health of Australians. That's why we created Medicare, and we will only ever improve Medicare and access to health services. This is why the Albanese Labor government is strengthening Medicare and making it easier for Tasmanians to get the health care they need, when and where they need it, right across Tasmania.

This commitment is just another example of the Albanese Labor government caring and delivering for the welfare of Tasmanians. More face-to-face support will make a real difference to treatment delivery, and I'm confident that the head of the Holman clinic and their radiation oncologist, Dr Stan Gauden, and the team will make the most of this initiative. Dr Gauden understands what this funding will mean for cancer services in Tasmania and is rightly delighted to receive this funding, which will help him treat and support patients.

This is what being in government and delivering in government is all about—making a positive difference in the lives of so many families facing cancer diagnosis, providing them with the support they need. It serves our community and it strengthens our community. There wasn't a better night to give this speech than when coming from an ovarian cancer function, where we met in trying to raise awareness about one of the most deadly cancers, unfortunately, that impacts women. It's one that's not sexy to talk about. We don't like to talk about those private parts—the machinery that makes us women—but it's crucial that we talk about these cancers. Whatever type of cancer people have had to endure, it's important that they have the support they need after their treatment ends, and it's just as important to give that support to their families, which benefits our whole community.