Ms ROSOL question to MINISTER for HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH and WELLBEING, Mrs ARCHER
[10.48 a.m.]
According to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), underfunding of cancer treatment services in southern Tasmania has left no capacity to cope with surges in demand at a time when cancer rates are going up. It’s resulting in mounting pressure within the oncology unit, with delays, equipment breakdowns, inadequate infrastructure and staffing pressures. The Mercury reported that one oncology patient, Reuben Topski, was given an infusion in the ED waiting room because there weren’t enough beds in the cancer unit. Another day, he waited hours for radiation therapy because the machine had failed. All this while your government is threatening to cut staff within the Royal Hobart Hospital clinical trials unit, which could impact patients’ ability to access new cancer treatments. Do you accept that the health system is in crisis when Tasmanians are struggling to access life-saving cancer treatment? What are you going to do to fix this unacceptable situation?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the member for the question. Again, there’s quite a number of questions in there. I am committed to regular ongoing engagement with the AMA to ensure that we’re working closely together to deal with any specific concerns raised, but also so that we can identify and collaborate on any opportunities to continue to build a better health system.
I don’t agree with some of the comments that have been made in the media and some of which you have gone to in your question. I obviously can’t comment specifically on the circumstances of individual patients and their treatments, although I do empathise with patients where care does not meet their expectations.
As minister, I’m committed to ensuring the highest possible standards, and we are working hard to implement change and improvement right across the health system. I would encourage anyone with specific concerns about their care to raise them directly with the Royal Hobart Hospital or through my office so that we can investigate those cases directly.
In relation to the issue that you raised about the cancer trial services, for example, there has been a lot of coverage around that issue. Not all of the claims that have been made are correct. I would be happy to follow up with a more detailed response to you or to provide a briefing about that. The cancer trials continue to be conducted in Tasmania at the Royal, and will continue to into the future.
