Bulk billing for cancer treatments announced for Wagga

The Daily Advertiser

NSW health minister Ryan Park announces bulk billing for radiotherapy and oncology in Wagga, responding to lobbying from MP Joe McGirr

Transcript

00:00 Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Health and Regional Health.

00:07 Minister, this year in June I tabled a petition signed by more than 12,000 people calling

00:11 for the elimination of out-of-pocket costs for patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment

00:16 in Wagga Wagga.

00:17 Minister, what progress has there been made on delivering on this issue of equity for

00:22 patients seeking cancer treatment in my electorate?

00:25 Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you, the Member for Wagga, for your question.

00:32 I think this entire House would agree that our Chamber is better because of your input.

00:40 We are better as a health system because of your efforts, particularly in relation to

00:44 regional, rural and remote health.

00:46 I want to thank you for leading that, and for all of those committee members who are

00:51 making sure that we deliver improvements to health services right across New South Wales,

00:56 but in particular for those people living in rural, regional and remote areas where

01:03 I don't think for such a long time they have had the focus on health care that they need

01:08 and deserve.

01:09 The Member is right.

01:10 He came and spoke to me about this issue.

01:12 I met with him down in his office.

01:15 I've had multiple discussions with him about this issue.

01:18 This is an issue of equity, not being able to provide cancer treatment services through

01:24 a bulk billing model.

01:26 I engaged with New South Wales Health.

01:28 I wasn't happy with the initial response around this issue, and I thought that we as a government

01:35 and as a society, this was a basic tenement of health care, that if someone needed access

01:41 to cancer treatment, then that should be done in a way that is affordable and manageable

01:46 for them.

01:48 I didn't want a cancer diagnosis to become a financial crisis as well as a health crisis,

01:54 which sometimes it can be with the level of treatment people have.

02:01 Upon that engagement, we moved to a model of sending out an expression of interest to

02:07 see who would be interested in providing such services.

02:12 As a result of that expression of interest, a number of operators came back.

02:18 We will now be releasing a tender for people and organisations to bid on.

02:26 That will be open in early December.

02:29 It will be closed during January.

02:32 We will then select the proponent and start to deliver those services as quickly as possible.

02:40 It will be radiation therapy, medical oncology, but also medical oncology support services

02:48 to outreach.

02:49 That is very important in regional, rural and remote areas.

02:56 In acknowledging the enormous effort from the member for Wagga, I also want to outline

03:03 that the delivery of services, particularly cancer services, in regional, rural and remote

03:08 areas is particularly important to me.

03:12 During the landmark regional and rural health inquiry that the member for Wagga, I was asked

03:17 to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

03:18 I was asked to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

03:19 I was asked to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

03:20 I was asked to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

03:21 I was asked to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

03:22 I was asked to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

03:23 I was asked to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

03:24 I was asked to provide a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health.

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