Page 4970 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 26 October 2011
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and need hospitalisation. Fungal infections are also very frequent and are often quite difficult to clear up.
Lymphoedema can also be very painful and include other side effects such as decreased mobility, the embarrassment of having this sort of condition and depression. Last year when we had the debate about breast cancer, access to the lymphoedema clinic at Calvary was one of the top concerns listed, and it does not seem that this issue has been resolved. A lymphoedema clinic was established several years ago after advocacy by local groups, including Bosom Buddies and local members of Breast Cancer Network Australia. Bosom Buddies volunteers were able to raise funds and donate a laser machine to the clinic. Last year the clinic received about 25 new referrals every month, and once a woman experiences lymphoedema she will most likely need ongoing support and treatments by the clinic.
Bosom Buddies have reported that in recent times the demand for this service has become almost untenable for the two lymphoedema physiotherapists at the Calvary clinic and that the results of this are problematic for patients. Bosom Buddies wrote a letter to the Minister for Health pointing out that women with symptoms of lymphoedema are advised to seek treatment early but are having to wait longer to access the clinic, meaning that their condition may have considerably advanced before they receive intervention treatment.
Women also have to wait many weeks for appointments to get much-needed replacement lymphoedema sleeves, and there are very limited other sources for them in the ACT.
Due to constantly growing demand, patients cannot get frequent enough laser and other treatments from the lymphoedema physiotherapists. Laser treatment is in fact rarely offered to patients, due to the limited number of trained staff and the ever-increasing patient numbers.
Given that these issues do not appear to have been resolved in the last year, I foreshadow that I will move an amendment to Dr Bourke’s motion calling on the government to investigate current and future demand for lymphoedema services and what it can do to increase the capacity of the clinic. It may mean, for example, that another physiotherapist needs to be employed. Given that so many women in the ACT are surviving breast cancer, it is important that we do what we can to minimise their ongoing chronic disease and assist them in their recovery.
The Greens are still concerned about the other matters we raised last year, including the workload of the breast cancer nurses, the availability of bio-impedence and the disproportionate impact breast cancer has on women from poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Another concern that women have raised is the lack of surgeons that they can get access to.
Going to paragraph (2) of the motion, the women behind the pink campaign have been extremely successful. Some of the local heroes include Dragons Abreast, who held a dragon boat regatta on Saturday, 22 October at Weston Park. Breast Cancer Network Australia hosted a “field of women” at Calvary hospital on Monday, 24 October,
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