Bruny Island resident and cancer sufferer Dennis Page forced to mainland for lifesaving treatment after long waitlists in Tasmania

A beloved community member of Bruny Island facing a life and death battle with advanced cancer says the state’s hospital system has let him down, forcing him to seek treatment on the mainland. HIS STORY

Dennis Page of Bruny Island who is waiting for cancer treatment. Picture: Chris Kidd

Dennis Page is not ready to die.

He’s not ready to say goodbye to his family. He’s not ready to say goodbye to his life on Bruny Island.

The 71-year-old who has spent his whole life in Southern Tasmania is coming to grips with his newly heartbreaking reality after being diagnosed with terminal cancer nearly a month ago.

He could only have months to live.

Despite growing up on an apple orchard in the Channel, dedicating his life and work to Tasmanian companies and being a beloved member of his community, Mr Page is forced to seek life saving medical help on the mainland because the wait to see a specialist in Tasmania is too long.

Dennis Page of Bruny Island who is waiting for cancer treatment. Picture: Chris Kidd

“People are actually dying while they’re waiting to be admitted to hospital. It’s not really good enough,” he said.

“Particularly when they are going to spend all that money on a stupid stadium.”

Mr Page, who described himself as a tinkerer, loves old cars and old engines. But most of all, he loves his wife Cassandra Page, his children and grandchildren.

“He was diagnosed with colon cancer and stomach cancer. It’s within his adrenal glands, lymph nodes and liver,” Mrs Page said.

Their regular GP sent an urgent referral to the Royal Hobart Hospital and after weeks of waiting, the hospital called on Wednesday to book an appointment.

“It’s taken three weeks for an urgent referral,” Mrs Page said.

“The only reason I got the call from the hospital was because our GP rang them. He was very angry that they hadn’t contacted us and he followed up with them.”

In Hobart, the estimated wait time for an urgent patient to see a gastroenterology specialist is 256 days.

Mrs Page said they had no choice but to call the Olivia Newton-John Cancer centre located in the Austin Hospital in Melbourne.

“They were straight onto it within two days. They wanted him to have a colonoscopy here in Hobart before we go over,” she said.

“It will cost $3500 for an urgent colonoscopy … I just said that’s really out of the question.”

The pair haven’t been able to afford private health insurance and risk waiting months on the public health system which could cost Mr Page’s life.

“The whole health system is totally ruined,” Mrs Page said.

“You’ve got to pay all these extras, we can’t afford to pay it anymore so we gave up.

“You’d be waiting months and months through the public system. His best option is going to Melbourne.”

AMA Tasmania President Dr John Saul at parliament lawn Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

Getting treatment in Melbourne will not only prolong his life, the centre will support and improve his wellbeing.

“Dennis gets very down at the knots. He’s going through all the what ifs and everything. I’ve been through them all and now I’m just trying to be proactive and make it happen,” Mrs Page said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help raise the much needed funds to travel to Melbourne to save Mr Page’s life.

AMA Tasmania president Dr John Saul said there is a huge risk to quality of life and wellbeing due to long waitlists.

“In terms of life or death, some of the biggest risks come with simple colonoscopies,” he said.

“For potential cancer cases, it’s certainly a worrying statistic in terms of delay to see someone and then the delay to have the colonoscopy. It’s a real concern.”