Fed: Labor says govt not taking radiology issue seriously

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2001
Fed: Labor says govt not taking radiology issue seriously

CANBERRA, Aug 22 AAP - The federal government must act responsibly and fix the problem
of a massive shortage of trained staff and radiotherapy machines needed to treat cancer,
Labor said today.

Health Minister Michael Wooldridge yesterday accused radiologists of being alarmist
and self-serving in releasing a report claiming 10,000 patients had missed out on life-saving
cancer treatment.

The report by Australia's top radiation experts found only 38 per cent of cancer patients
received radiation treatment and if the situation was not improved, up to 20,000 cancer
sufferers could miss out on radiotherapy each year by 2005.

The 10,000 cancer patients who did not receive treatment in 2000 suffered pain, reduced
quality of life or premature death.

Opposition health spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said it was time to take the matter seriously.

"We all know that there are serious shortages of both radiotherapy machines and radiotherapy
staff," Ms Macklin told the Seven Network.

"And I would have hoped that the minister would have taken the matter seriously and
sit down and work out a plan to fix the problem.

"Labor has announced its national plan against cancer and we intend, if we do get into
government, to address this very serious shortage."

Dr Wooldridge has rejected the figures in the report as wildly inaccurate because they
were based on an American benchmark which was not evidence-based.

But Ms Macklin said data from experts showed there was a need for upgraded and new
machines and a need to ensure staff were available.

"We have data now from Australian radiation oncologists, the people who are treating
many cancer patients, who are saying there are people in Australia missing out on radiotherapy,"

she said.

"I think the responsible thing to do, which Labor will do, is sit down and make sure
we have enough radiotherapy machines in Australia so that cancer patients don't miss out."

AAP lm/ph

KEYWORD: TREATMENT MACKLIN

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