Cancer patients wanting to take up the Government's offer of treatment in Australia are being given the runaround, says National deputy leader Roger Sowry.
Health Minister Annette King said last week that patients who could not be treated here because of a shortage of radiotherapists would be sent to Australia.
Thetreatment would be paid for by district health boards and the Government. Boards unable to treat cancer patients here would be expected to make that money available and the Government would top it up by $7000 to cover flights, accommodation and a support person.
But Mr Sowry said yesterday that the announcement was looking "increasingly like it was policy made on the hoof".
"Patients who have contacted the minister's office have been referred to the Ministry of Health, who in turn told them they would have to contact the district helath board for details," he said. "Most of these boards have few, if any, details themselves."
A letter to the ministry from Wellington Cancer Centre radiation services head David Lamb highlighted the eligibility confusion.
Dr Lamb said in the letter he had been asked to start selecting patients for treatment.
"Unfortunately, it is quite impossible for me to do this on the limited information provided," he said.
Issues to be sorted out included which patients were eligible for the available money, what criteria would be used to select a few patients if there was strong demand, capacity in Australia to take patients and the time there from acceptance to treatment starting.
"Staff in the Wellington Cancer Centre are being phoned by many patients waiting for radiation treatment who wonder if they are eligible to travel to Australia and we are left in the unacceptable position of saying we just don't know," Dr Lamb said.
Ministry spokesman Andrew Holmes said Australian treatment would initially be offered to patients in Auckland, Waikato and Wellington as those areas had the longest delays. But treatment was subject to availability.
He urged those who would consider going to Australia to contact their cancer centre.
