Labor pledges $14.8m for better melanoma care

Anthony Albanese opts for photo opportunity instead of press conference to make health announcement.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has his skin mapped during a visit to the FNQH Skin Cancer Clinic in Cairns, Queensland on day 5 of the federal election campaign. Picture: Toby Zerna

Labor will pump $14.8 million into an initiative that will give the 16,000 Australians diagnosed with melanoma each year better access to specialised care if the party is elected in May.

It follows the Opposition’s flagship $135 million health announcement earlier this week to trial 50 urgent care clinics, which has come under scrutiny for both its costing and the lack of consultation with peak medical bodies.

Anthony Albanese announced Labor’s newest health policy on Saturday, but did so with only a photo opportunity, rather than a press conference. One pool journalist was allowed to attend as he visited a melanoma clinic in far north Queensland, where he is campaigning.

The Opposition leader said in a press release the funding package would be delivered over the forward estimates to the Melanoma Institute of Australia, which has rolled out its melanoma nurses program in Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Perth and Hobart, allowing it to offer the initiative nationally.

Melanoma nurses are based on similar successful models used in breast cancer and prostate cancer care and provide a personalised support service which helps patients navigate the health system, access available services and make decisions regarding their health.

Australia has the highest rate of melanoma in the world, with the disease killing one person every six hours, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

“Unfortunately melanoma is a common disease in Australia. These Australians deserve personalised support, helping them navigate the web of medical practitioners which can often be overwhelming for those who are newly diagnosed,” Mr Albanese said.

“We’ll make sure people with melanoma get the care they need, in what can be a very difficult time.”

Albanese with Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Labor candidate for Leichhardt, Elida Faith in Cairns. Picture: Toby Zerna

The funding, which will be provided as a grant to the Melanoma Institute, will also cover telehealth support to ensure even Australians living rurally have access to the program.

Opposition health spokesman Mark Butler said only Labor would “fund personalised care” for melanoma sufferers and ensure they felt properly supported.

The Melanoma Institute welcomed the announcement which it said was “a critical step towards achieving our goal of zero deaths from melanoma from 2030”.

“This investment will mean we are able to scale up our melanoma nurses program across the country – with 35 extra nurses by early 2025,” Melanoma Institute Australia chief executive Matthew Brown said.

Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers, who had a melanoma removed in 2020, said he knew the value of “personalised care” for melanoma sufferers.

“I know what it’s like to be diagnosed with melanoma, but I was one of the lucky ones,” he said.

“I can tell you the kind of personalised care melanoma nurses would deliver to sufferers will be of great benefit – I’m proud that Labor will be extending this service nationwide, including on the ground in Cairns and Townsville.”