Mrs BRAHAM - 2007-04-18
Recently, you signed an agreement with the Commonwealth Health minister for the provision of a cancer therapy unit in Darwin. Will you clarify for me whether it is going to be an oncology unit or just a radiotherapy unit? On at least two occasions in this parliament, your predecessor, Peter Toyne, assured Centralians would have the choice of travelling interstate or to Darwin for cancer treatment. However, in the NT News this year, you seemed to suggest that Centralians will have no choice but to go to Darwin. Will you continue the guarantee that Centralians will have the preferred choice of where they go for treatment? Your predecessor also promised that the NT government would provide accommodation for patients and their families if they had to go to Darwin. Can you provide us with an update on what you will provide and whether Centralians still have that choice?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Braitling. It is important to lay out clearly the nature of this service and the joint arrangement that exists between the Commonwealth and the Territory. I welcome the Commonwealth’s support for the establishment of radiation oncology services in the Northern Territory.
In essence, the Commonwealth is supporting the actual radiation oncology service, and they will be going out to tender very soon on that. They are also supporting the construction of the building to house the radiation oncology service which, of course, contains some quite complex equipment that is used in radiation oncology. It is expected that that particular building will be constructed in Darwin in the next financial year. It is also expected that it is going to take some time to actually install and calibrate that quite complex linear accelerator equipment. The aim of opening that service is early 2009, contrary to the statements that have been made by Mr David Tollner. That was the agreement and I spoke to Tony Abbott about that when I signed the agreement with him.
In relation to Alice Springs patients, I place on the record that, in tendering for that service, the whole of the Territory will be included in that. Therefore, it would be expected that patients from Alice Springs would be going to Darwin where appropriate. There may be some cancers that still require treatment in Adelaide or elsewhere.
However, I do acknowledge the close links between Alice Springs and Adelaide. I have met with cancer support groups in Alice Springs and the undertaking I have given to them is that I want to see support services in Darwin that are equal to what people have in Adelaide. I have also undertaken to go to Adelaide to inspect the services there - both accommodation and support services. I have placed it very directly on the record, member for Braitling. I have been very plain about it. It is an important step forward for the Territory to have a radiation oncology service. I have been very direct with you in my answer, member for Braitling, about the nature of that service.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Braitling. It is important to lay out clearly the nature of this service and the joint arrangement that exists between the Commonwealth and the Territory. I welcome the Commonwealth’s support for the establishment of radiation oncology services in the Northern Territory.
In essence, the Commonwealth is supporting the actual radiation oncology service, and they will be going out to tender very soon on that. They are also supporting the construction of the building to house the radiation oncology service which, of course, contains some quite complex equipment that is used in radiation oncology. It is expected that that particular building will be constructed in Darwin in the next financial year. It is also expected that it is going to take some time to actually install and calibrate that quite complex linear accelerator equipment. The aim of opening that service is early 2009, contrary to the statements that have been made by Mr David Tollner. That was the agreement and I spoke to Tony Abbott about that when I signed the agreement with him.
In relation to Alice Springs patients, I place on the record that, in tendering for that service, the whole of the Territory will be included in that. Therefore, it would be expected that patients from Alice Springs would be going to Darwin where appropriate. There may be some cancers that still require treatment in Adelaide or elsewhere.
However, I do acknowledge the close links between Alice Springs and Adelaide. I have met with cancer support groups in Alice Springs and the undertaking I have given to them is that I want to see support services in Darwin that are equal to what people have in Adelaide. I have also undertaken to go to Adelaide to inspect the services there - both accommodation and support services. I have placed it very directly on the record, member for Braitling. I have been very plain about it. It is an important step forward for the Territory to have a radiation oncology service. I have been very direct with you in my answer, member for Braitling, about the nature of that service.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016