Dean Hunter battles bladder cancer and Qld Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme
A rural firefighter diagnosed with cancer two years ago has had to travel hundreds of kilometres every day for lifesaving treatment. Now he has revealed the other battle he has had to take on.
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Former Yarraman firefighter Dean Hunter is 62 years old and was diagnosed with bladder cancer in December 2020.
Because of where he lives, Mr Hunter has since had to regularly travel the 116km from Yarraman to Toowoomba Hospital for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy treatment.
Over a period of 18 months, he sometimes had to travel to Toowoomba and back every single day for up to six weeks at a time, until he finally went into remission in July 2022.
“It was a three hour round trip on a good day with no roadworks,” he said.
Mr Hunter said he would consistently submit his requests for the Queensland Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme to reimburse him his travel costs, but the wait times were extensive, and he says the system has not changed since the 1990s when his parents used the scheme.
“The PTSS were nine months behind paying me; this added unnecessary stress and drama to my the situation,” he said.
“You have a slip of paper, after an operation surgeons don’t always have time to sign your paper and it’s not always first thing on my mind.
“With the rise of living costs the money makes such a difference,” he said.
A Queensland Health spokesman said patients received 30 cents per kilometre they travelled.
“The subsidy is to be paid within 30 working days from receipt of all necessary documents by the approving public hospital or public health facility,” he said.
Nanango MP Deb Frecklington said people from the South Burnett relied on the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme to allow them to afford treatment.
“Many must travel at least two hours to see a specialist or to undergo surgery as most specialist services are not available locally,” she said.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the pandemic had unfortunately impacted the ability for the Darling Downs HHS to sustain the consistent staffing level required to maintain the 30-working day payment commitment.
“The Darling Downs HHS has also reported an increase in patient registrations, receiving an average of 120 new PTSS registrations each month over the past six months,”
“During June and July 2022 additional temporary contract staff were engaged and current staff offered overtime to address the volume of claims,” she said.
“The current processing times have returned to the expected 30 working days payment period.”
Mrs Frecklington said she hoped this helped alleviate some of the stress the lengthy reimbursement delays had been causing for patients.
“I thank the DDHHS for addressing this issue and the importance of the timely reimbursement of the PTSS for our community,” she said.
Mr Hunter has returned to doing what he loves and to volunteering at the Queensland Rural Fire Service.
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