Page 882 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 16 March 2010
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The activity in the Capital Region Cancer Service in radiation oncology over the last 12 months has increased by 14 per cent. This translates into a 19 per cent increase for urgent patients needing treatment within 24 to 48 hours, a 23 per cent increase in semi-urgent patients that commence treatment within four weeks, a seven per cent increase in non-urgent category A patients and a 21 per cent increase in non-urgent category B patients.
On top of that, there were a number of breakdowns of one of our lin accs, the linear accelerators, Nos 1 and 2 during January and February. Despite these breakdowns, all patients that were booked for treatment on those days were seen. And this was the result of a number of radiation therapists working overtime to make sure people were seen.
The staffing issues and the recruitment were well underway. I understand 11 positions were offered. I think six of those have been accepted at this point. I think three have declined; they have got jobs elsewhere. Those staff will be coming on board very soon. I think one locum already has. There were around 20 patients referred interstate. It may have been a bit more. But if you look at that in the context of what has happened in previous years, in 2006-07, 31 patients were referred interstate; in the 2007-08 year, 35 patients were referred; and in 2008, 15 patients were referred.
We have become much more self-sufficient in our delivery of radiation oncology. Again, that is due to the investments that have been made in additional staff and the new machines working. We need to get the fourth linear accelerator in place very soon, particularly if these increases of 14 per cent are going to be sustained.
The staffing issues, the machines breaking down have certainly contributed to some of the issues faced in that area. But I know, again, people are working very hard to support individual patients.
We will always need to send patients interstate. We are never going to be a service that can provide 100 per cent of the care in the territory. And that is because of the nature of some cancers where we do not have the specialist treatment here. It is certainly the case for burns. It is the case for paediatric intensive care.
Twenty-five per cent of the people coming through radiation oncology are coming from New South Wales. So we do our bit as a regional provider, supporting regional New South Wales people. But a more urgent New South Wales person will get access at Canberra Hospital before a less urgent Canberra person. And that is the way the system works.
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, a supplementary?
MRS DUNNE: Yes, a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Minister, what have you done to ensure that this situation of people’s calls not being returned is not repeated? What procedures are now in place so that radiotherapy patients know what their treatment will be and when it will be?
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