Putting a face to the radiation petition

Working Party members have their say in front of Legislative Review Committee

Three Radiation Treatment for the Limestone Coast Working Party representatives headed to Adelaide last week to present their case for the establishment of radiation treatment services in the Limestone Coast to the Legislative Review Committee.

The Radiation Treatment for the Limestone Coast Working Party is made up of past and present cancer patients with lived experience, cancer support group representatives, regional Health Advisory Council (HAC) members, City of Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin OAM, Member for Barker Tony Pasin, Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell and Ben Hood MLC.

The aim of the working party is to advocate for radiation treatment to be made available locally to patients living in the Limestone Coast – with a catchment of roughly 68,000. This cause brought the Working Party together and instigated the petition that has been referred to this Committee for inquiry.

Richard Harry, who has long been at the forefront of improved cancer treatment and support for local patients, including his role in establishing the Limestone Coast prostate Cancer Support Group, was one of the three representatives that fronted the Legislative Review Committee. “I definitely believe we got a fair hearing and had a chance to present our case and also answer questions from the panel members,” he said.

Each of the three Limestone Coast representatives prosecuted a different aspect of the working party’s case.

Lachlan Haynes covered the cold hard facts, including the history of the issue, Deanne Carmody presented her very personal story, while Mr Harry talked about the emotional and economic effect patients and their families go through, having to travel for treatment.

“The loss of family support, being alone, the mental health anguish and all with that big ‘C’ hanging over you – it frightens the hell out of you,” Mr Harry said. “And then there’s all the travelling and the expense.”

One of the main messages Mr Harry and the working party have tried to convey to those making the decisions on funding for the operational costs of a radiation treatment service – there is still $4.3million in Federal Government funding to set up the service on ice – is how impractical on so many levels, travelling hundreds of kilometres for what amounts to a 15 minute treatment and perhaps a half hour interruption to the day at best.

“People in the city can take that short amount of time off work and go through treatment while still earning an income, being around family, friends and pets and staying at home,” Mr Harry said. “People in the Limestone Coast have to travel to Adelaide for six to eight weeks and have to miss work, use up

“...the loss of family support, being alone, the mental health anguish and all with that big ‘C’ hanging over you – it frightens the hell out of you...” Richard Harry (Radiation Treatment in the Limestone Coast Working Party) their sick leave and often end up fighting their cancer battle with the added pressure of no income and no family support.”

The working party’s submission to the Legislative Review Committee included both those economic and emotional impacts of navigating cancer treatment.

“All people, have the right to achieve the highest attainable level of health. This is the fundamental premise of public health care; a whole-of-society, organised approach to ensure access to services for health and wellbeing,” the submission read.

“We recognise that public funds are finite. We recognise that higher population density equates to higher levels of publicly funded services. We also recognise however, that the Limestone Coast contributes to our state’s economy and identity and our residents deserve an appropriate level of public health care. Our postcode should not determine our likelihood

RADIATION TREATMENT AT A GLANCE

“...our postcode should not determine our likelihood of surviving a cancer diagnosis, and yet it does...” Richard Harry (Radiation Treatment in the Limestone Coast Working Party) of surviving a cancer diagnosis, and yet it does. Statistics tell us that the further from a metropolitan centre a patient lives, the more likely they are to die within five years of a cancer diagnosis.

“While the Working Party does not have the capacity to provide this committee with an economic impact assessment, we believe there is a strong economic case to be argued for radiation treatment services to be made available locally when lost personal income and PATS expenditure are taken into consideration.”

And while the three working party has had their say, the community can access more information at an upcoming Radiotherapy Community Forum on July 25 at 5.30pm at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre.

The forum will aim to update the Limestone Coast community on the work being done to advocate for radiation treatment to be made available for cancer patients locally and will have a panel of community leaders, health officials and, already confirmed, the three radiation treatment providers in Australia.See advert for booking details.

HAVING THEIR SAY: (Above)

Ben Hood MLC with Radiation Treatment for the Limestone Coast Working Party embers Deanne Carmody; Richard Harry & Lachlan Haynes on the stpes of Parliament House.

• Radiation is a highly effective and proven cancer treatment. In other parts of the world one in two cancer patients undergo radiation treatment. In Australia its one in three.

• 30 per cent of the Australian population live in regional Australia and 1 in 2 will get cancer before the age of 85.

• 14.2 per cent of Australian cancer patients who would benefit from radiation don’t get it.

• The further from a metropolitan centre a patient lives, the more likely they are to die within five years of a cancer diagnosis.

• A key barrier to cancer patients receiving radiation therapy is not cost or treatment effectiveness. It’s lack of access. Distance from a treatment centre is one of the biggest contributors to this problem.

• 95 per cent of all patients that require radiation treatment access services as outpatients.

• Patients undertake a treatment course of one to eight weeks depending on their diagnosis and treatment intent. These appointments are approximately 10-15 mins