Council to advocate for local radiotherapy services at new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital
In a Motion to Eurobodalla Council today, Council unanimously agreed to advocate for Radiotherapy Services at the new Eurobodalla Hospital.
Councillor Anthony Mayne moved the motion, “THAT Council urgently seeks clarification on the proposed local radiotherapy service for the L4 Eurobodalla Hospital. That Council joins the community in supporting the inclusion and prioritisation of local radiotherapy services, noting the 5 year interval between the widely subscribed 2022 community Local Access to Radiotherapy Petition lodgement in Parliament and NSW Health’s extended delivery date for the new Eurobodalla Hospital in late 2027.”
The local health district has repeated refused to include radiotherapy services in the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital on the basis of cost and lack of need. In several public forums this year the figure of $100m for the local radiotherapy service had been quoted by the Southern NSW Local Health District. This figure was questioned by the three passionate speakers presenting to Public Forum on the matter.
Peter Cormick said, “the figures put about were bullshit.”
“A Linac (alone) would cost no more than $8 million and that a bunker, costed at the rate of $14,000 per sq metre, would result in a total cost of Linac and bunker, of around $15 million”
Peter added “with further space and equipment provided, the total cost should be no more than $30 million.”
Advocate for the service, Lou Dampney said it was a “no brainer.” She said it was “a hell of a journey (to Canberra or Nowra) if you are feeling crook.”
She added that radiotherapy was also used for palliative pain management.
Long time campaigner Mylene Boulting said “we can’t do anything more ourselves – we need council to stand up with us.”
Mrs Boulting said “The Independent Review has still not been released (after almost a year of repeated requests including 2 FOIs), but we have been reliably advised it has indeed confirmed what our community already knew: that a radiotherapy centre IS needed and viable and should be included in the new hospital.
NSW Health have publicly mentioned starting on a radiotherapy centre after the regional hospital is up and running . But we have been told that it would take 2 years to design and build such a centre. This leads us to 2029/2030.
We cannot afford to wait all this time: the community has loudly asked for a centre for the last 4 years, we cannot afford for the process to stall, we need Council to get behind the community’s plea, we urge Council to strongly express its support for the inclusion of the radiotherapy centre in the hospital plans NOW, in order to get the development process started in 2025 at the latest and have the centre ready by end 2027.”
She also noted that it would be accessed from patients from Bega who had even further to travel.
The speakers all referred to figures from the August 2023 minutes of the Southern NSW Local Health District Board meeting in which Professor Mick Reid provided an overview of the findings of the review into the feasibility of establishing a radiation therapy service within the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital (ERH).
The minutes reported: “CI (Cancer Institute) NSW data for projected cancer cases for the south coast supports up to 1.3 Linear Accelerators (Linac). The review has considered whether people would change their current treatment location, the likely uptake, the consequences for the Canberra and Nowra services, whether the service can be provided safely and sustainability as well as cost implications for ERH.
The review found that people will access a local service. Evidence shows a likely Increase in the rate of Radiation Therapy (RT) treatment if a service is provided locally. Discussion followed about the provision of one Linac, or two bunkers and one Linac as for other areas in NSW to future proof.
Networking arrangements are important to ensure continuity of care. There are significant vacancies in the medical oncology field, with a workforce meeting in Nowra with Canberra service providers planned.
A range of options were considered in the review and while it was included in the review, a separate private service is not a model for recommendation. A further option is a contracted provider such as ICON, or Genesis to provide the service in ERH. The third option considered is a public service, networked with Nowra.
Reversal of flow for NSW residents currently travelling to Canberra was discussed with ACT Health who have indicated no issue as their waiting lists are long. Nowra are managing well, but workforce is a challenge.
Professor Reid noted that the MSC are supportive for a service at ERH but not at the cost of other services.
A Board member asked about Commonwealth RT grants for regional services. ERH has been identified as an area to support. The Commonwealth’s $8M offer is inadequate to fund the capital cost of the service which is estimated to be around $30M. Recurrent costs are estimated at $3.5M/annum.
The CE noted the issue of the cost of doing business in Southern, and the concern that the cost of funding an RT service would further add to this. The CE also noted the range of capital risks the District is currently carrying, as well as the imperative for the operational costs of a radiation therapy service to be fully covered, in the event of the service being established.
The review found that the service can be provided in a safe manner, and is a needed service. The population justifies the provision of a single Linac.
A Board member questioned whether the major limiting factor to safe operation would be to staffing of the service, acknowledging the proposed networking with Nowra/Canberra. The review will flag the issue of retention of staff to support the service.
A draft of the Radiation Therapy report will be provided to the Health District when it is provided to Ministry.”
In closing Cr Mayne asked “who hasn’t had a family member or friend who hasn’t been affected (by cancer).
Cr Pollock added “for too long we have kept the door too narrow. We shouldn’t let the Federal Government off the hook. We should expand out efforts.”
Updated Sunday 25th August.