Page 949 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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Patients are also provided with information about the ACT interstate patient travel assistance scheme, which provides some support for people who have had to travel to receive services not available in the ACT. It does provide some financial assistance towards travel and accommodation costs, and the level of assistance is comparable with the assistance provided by schemes in other states and territories. Indeed, I think it is probably the third most generous. I am not saying it is generous, but it is up there next to WA and Northern Territory, which have their own reasons around travel for patients. The scheme is available to permanent residents of the ACT where access to inpatient medical treatment and/or specialist treatment is not available.
I can assure members that patients are only referred to sites once their doctors are assured they can be seen in a time frame that meets national clinical benchmarks. I accept that this is not the best outcome. My family has been required to travel interstate for treatment on a number of occasions because services are not provided in the ACT, so I can certainly speak from my own experience. But the thing that I was focusing on both with my parents and, indeed, with my partner was that they were getting access to the healthcare treatment that they required in the time that they required it.
When it is not available in a timely fashion, we always try to get patients into another service as the best alternative. We need to improve the communication around this process; that is clear. But the aims and the outcomes are the best for the patient in the circumstances. While patients who are referred interstate may have to deal with additional social factors, the Capital Region Cancer Service does provide referral to social support services in the ACT and at interstate facilities.
I accept that the need to travel for radiotherapy care does place considerable additional pressure on patients and their loved ones. Where services are not available close to home, we have an alternative. Whilst the Capital Region Cancer Service is working hard to ensure all patients have the most timely access to care as possible during this time, it is also working hard to fill the current vacancies in the radiation therapy service.
A recruitment process to fill the six vacant positions was held as soon as the vacancies were identified. The vacant radiation therapy positions have been filled, and an additional locum radiation therapist has been employed to increase treatment capacity and help the radiation oncology department meet demand. Funding has been provided to enable recruitment of an additional five radiation therapists to meet growing demand, to cover backfill and ensure future vacancies do not impact negatively on service capacity.
All of this shows that the service has responded to the recent capacity issues within the service with the patients’ needs front and centre. While we accept that the fact that this has not been communicated as effectively as possible to patients is a major oversight, it is one I have discussed with the department at length and it is being addressed.
This motion, like so many other issues that Mr Hanson brings to this place, continues the disappointing approach to health issues raised by the opposition. There is no
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