Page 265 - Week 01 - Thursday, 13 February 2020
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MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Gupta for his question and for his interest in the health services provided across the ACT. As I have mentioned previously, the ACT government invested $11 million, including $6 million from the commonwealth, to replace two linear accelerators used for radiology treatment at the Canberra Hospital campus.
I was pleased to celebrate the opening of the first of the new LINACs with Senator Seselja on 9 September 2019. The second LINAC was installed in December 2019 and is now undergoing extensive commissioning. The new LINAC will be operational by mid-2020. I am delighted to advise the Assembly that since mid-September 2019, 100 per cent of our patients have commenced treatment within the recommended guidelines in all three of the reported categories.
One hundred patients per day receive radiation therapy treatment at Canberra Hospital. This is being achieved on three machines as opposed to the same number being treated on four machines during the same period last year. I am pleased to report that there are currently no waiting lists for radiotherapy services, and wait times are within national benchmarks and meet key performance indicators, further demonstrating the ACT government’s commitment to providing health care to Canberrans and those from the surrounding region when and where they need it.
Last week I was pleased to attend the Canberra Region Cancer Centre as part of World Cancer Day at Canberra Hospital on 4 February, and to meet some of the wonderful, dedicated staff who have achieved this result. I also had the pleasure of meeting one of the CRCC’s patients, Kim. Kim took the time to show me around her favourite parts of the CRCC. She also took the opportunity to accompany me on a visit to the new LINAC. She was interested to learn about the panels above the treatment space providing the patients with images of calming local scenery whilst they are undertaking treatment. Those are the small things that make a big difference to people’s comfort.
MR GUPTA: Minister, could you outline what was done to achieve these results?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Gupta for his supplementary question. Radiotherapy wait times are impacted by a number of different factors, and as with much of the work across our ACT public health services, it is difficult to perfectly forecast demand on our services. There have been a number of activities undertaken by the hardworking staff in Canberra Health Services to improve patient access to radiology treatment but also to improve the way that treatment is delivered.
By way of patient access, improvements in treatment capacity have been achieved by extending treatment times to 7 pm; improving patient scheduling; improving treatment planning processes; and ensuring that machine maintenance is well planned to ensure minimal machine downtime.
In respect of treatment itself, the new LINACs allow for the introduction of a new radiation therapy delivery technique called volumetric modulated arc therapy. This therapy is a radiation therapy technique that delivers the radiation dose continuously
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