Tweed Valley Hospital: $5 million radiotherapy commitment for cancer patients
Long trips for Tweed cancer patients seeking treatment will soon be a thing of the past after a pledge of $5m for state-of-the-art radiotherapy technology at the new Tweed Valley Hospital.
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Tweed cancer patients will be able to access state-of-the-art treatment in their local area thanks to a $5 million investment at the new Tweed Valley Hospital.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie, Nationals candidate for Richmond, Kimberly Hone, and State Member for Tweed Geoff Provest visited the construction site on Wednesday.
There they announced funding for a new linear accelerator and CT scanner for CT-simulation and associated stabilisation equipment to be delivered in 2023.
Dr Gillespie said the equipment meant cancer patients would no longer have to travel to Lismore or the Gold Coast for treatment.
“For convenience and the cancer journey it is much better to be treated locally with all the specialists that you need here at the new big hospital,” Dr Gillespie said.
“It is a great advance for cancer therapy.”
In regional Australia, he said up to 50 per cent of people don’t take up radiotherapy when they should because of the need to travel and be away from home.
The equipment will help doctors diagnose different types of cancer and to treat patients through to recovery.
Ms Hone said she was motivated to push for this investment following border closures during Covid-19.
“I met a lady at the border during the pandemic who couldn’t access cancer treatment because she couldn’t cross the border to the Gold Coast,” she said.
“I think a lot of people have been in that boat sadly.
“We have to realise the pandemic has shown us we need to stand on our own two feet as NSW in our state and we need to rely on the services we provide.
“And the state needs to provide those services to our community.”
Mr Provest said the Tweed had been lacking in oncology services for years.
“We have 1700 people in our local areas suffering some form of cancer and also we deal with about 700 cancer sufferers up to Palm Beach - that is an ongoing issue,” he said.
“Last year alone there were around 5000 trips outside seeking treatment in Lismore and the Gold Coast.
“One of the problems we’ve always faced is they’re pretty well booked out too, so you may have urgent need for radiation treatment but you can’t get in for two or three months.”
Mr Provest said the promise of new state-of-the-art equipment had already attracted specialised medical practitioners to the hospital.
“I’ve been contacted by a number of specialists who are relocating here with the view of the hospital opening next year and seeking employment,” he said.
“Our existing hospital has 1200 staff, the new one has the potential to go up to 2700 - that’s a lot of the specialists moving into the area.
“The real beneficiary is our local area having 21st century medicine, not a refurbished old hospital.
The CT scanner and associated stabilisation equipment is funded as part of the $45.5 million Fighting Cancer program in the 2019-20 Budget.
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Originally published as Tweed Valley Hospital: $5 million radiotherapy commitment for cancer patients
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