Pressure in health system creating inequality for cancer patients

Melissa Vining. Photo / Otago Daily Times

The massive pressure in the health system is creating an inequality for cancer patients in the South, as many are bearing the costs to have treatment in other regions, an advocate says.

As specialists and treatments - such as radiation therapy - are not available in Southland, cancer patients are often referred to Dunedin or Christchurch for treatment.

Then, with the shortage of doctors and the current pressures in Dunedin, families are being sent to other regions and many patients are forced to pay for their accommodation as the Cancer Society’s Daffodil House is fully booked.

Cancer advocate Melissa Vining believed the situation had deteriorated in the past year, creating barriers and consequently affecting the successful treatment of patients in the South.

“It is really disappointing to hear that patients are not only having to leave their support network ... but having the burden of the additional costs, which is not what you need when you’re sick.

“It is an increased stressor to those individuals and their families.”

When her late husband Blair was undergoing treatment for bowel cancer or needing to see a specialist, they had to pay for their travel and accommodation costs.

Mrs Vining said they were lucky they could afford it, but she was worried as she knew many people who did not have the same capacity.

She had been referring many to the Cancer Society, but their Daffodil House has been overloaded with people.

“They are also very concerned about people’s ability to access health care.

“If people can’t afford those costs, it’s just creating a further inequality for Southland and Otago patients, because if you can’t afford to be treated, then you don’t get treated.”

She said the situation was a further blow to patients in the region as they not only missed getting adequate treatment, they also had to bear further costs.

“The situation is definitively worse ... previously you could travel to Dunedin and receive care, but now for radiation oncology, specialist appointment, a cancer patient is waiting nine to 12 weeks - they should be waiting a maximum of four weeks.”

She said regardless of which political party was elected, it needed to address that delay because it was creating inequality for cancer patients in the South.

“The national travel assistance programme hasn’t been reviewed for many, many years and - even for patients who are travelling from south to Dunedin - it doesn’t cover their costs, and certainly doesn’t cover the hotel, because they are only given $100 a night, which is a very difficult budget.”

Southland Cancer Society community and supportive care manager Pikihuia Solomon said they had 11 rooms in Dunedin and 38 rooms in Christchurch.

“Our accommodation is constantly full in both centres.

“As an accommodation provider - not treatment provider - we do not run wait lists as such.

“A patient receives their appointment from a hospital and we try to accommodate them. If not, they will need to find their own accommodation.”

She said the organisation was working to provide 12 extra rooms in Christchurch to help with the high demand, but Cancer Society Southland did not pay for accommodation for patients.

Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand was approached for comment but had not replied by deadline.

However, it told RNZ the oncology unit in Dunedin Hospital should have eight specialists, but was down to just three and one of those had plans to leave in November, meaning the hospital was also losing its accreditation to train junior oncology doctors.