Page 943 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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The result of that failure in planning is that such great distress and anxiety are now being placed on cancer sufferers or have been placed on cancer sufferers in the ACT. What is going on? What is this breakdown in communication? This is not the first time I have been in this place talking about breakdowns in communication in ACT Health.
We saw the incident with the first swine flu death in the ACT and the appalling communications there with the family. We saw it with TB, with the breakdown in communications there to the extent that a dead child was sent a bill. We have seen the breakdown in communications in obstetrics where people have tried to make complaints that have been ignored. When they finally did come to light, they were lambasted by the minister. And we have this situation today.
This is a very serious issue because any delay in receiving radiotherapy actually has negative consequences. There is plenty of research, and I have done my own research to assure myself that that is the case. As Ms Nedic said, although the staff have been “nothing but perfect”, the government, and I will say that again: the government—that is you, Ms Gallagher—“should have informed patients about the radiotherapy delays much sooner”. Yes, they should have. If the government knew what was going on, maybe they would have. Or maybe the government did know and was again being secretive. Vesna asks:
What about people … that can’t afford to go out of Canberra for treatment?
Good question. Do they have to compromise? Do they have to sit there and hope that they might get in at the end of May? They either have to stump up the money and go interstate or their treatment is delayed and that has negative outcomes.
The stress and anxiety if they can afford to go interstate can also have negative implications. There is anecdotal evidence that it can affect the treatment. My discussions with the Cancer Council on this issue certainly tell me that it will have negative outcomes on the side effects.
There are side effects from radiotherapy treatment, Mr Speaker. There is also the extra anxiety and stress caused by going interstate and the appalling situation where people were not informed, and then when they tried to get information, that information was not forthcoming. That has added greatly to the stress and anxiety these poor people are suffering. I quote again from Vesna:
I’m very upset that I’ve been given a week and a half to two weeks to take all this in, to organise myself, prepare my family.
Bosom Buddies have also raised their concerns about this. Sally Saunders from Bosom Buddies, who I have spoken to as well, actually levels criticism at the government, Ms Gallagher. As much as you would like to say that whenever someone levels criticism, this is an attack on ACT public servants, health officials, nurses or doctors, it is not. It is criticism that is coming from me at the government, it is coming from the patients at the government, it is coming from Bosom Buddies at the government and you are the minister, you are the government.
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