Naracoorte based radiotherapy working group chairman Lachlan Haynes has vowed “we won’t give up” following a $110,000 feasibility study rejecting South East radiation services.

Meanwhile, the $243million Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) is aiming to spend $4.3 million of federal funding for radiation services on a Cancer Consult Suite at the Mount Gambier Hospital.

According to the LCLHN’s meeting minutes, it decided to do that in February 2022, before it hired Health Q to do a feasibility study.

“This is a decision that treats us in regional South Australia as second-class citizens, especially those with cancer,” Mr Haynes said.

“The former Coalition Federal Government put $4.3 million into a radiation therapy service for the South East.

“The Malinauskas Government can’t even put $1.3 million towards running it.

“But it can spend $42 million on a football oval at Lyndoch. Where is the sense in that?

“Other people in regional areas in other states can enjoy their radiotherapy service at Warrnambool in Victoria, Mildura and Griffth in NSW – even Albany in WA.

“Some of those places have an even smaller catchment area than the Limestone Coast.”

Working group formed

Mr Haynes is chairman of the Limestone Coast Radiation Therapy Working Group which formed in January 2023.

The group gathered in response to the Limestone Coast Local Health Network’s (LCLHN’s) recommendations – first to the Marshall State Government, then the current Labor Government – that a radiation service was not viable.

It claimed there was a lack of infrastructure and an inability to attract and retain specialised staff, and endorsed instead a proposed integrated Cancer Consult Suite at the Mount Gambier Hospital.

Using the $4.3 million, a list of spending seen by The [Naracoorte Community] News included footpaths, car parking, a workroom for 12 staff, a respite room for staff, a kitchenette area as well as a cancer consult suite.

The so-called “suite” would enable some cancer patients, called “consumers”, to chat to a doctor by video.

Further plans included the expansion of a nurse call system at the hospital.

Ironically the inability to attract and retain radiation staff was listed in the Health Q feasibility study.

Fly-in, fly-out staff

“One of the reasons given in the feasibility study was that it was not clinically safe – a radiotherapy service down here might need fly – in fly- out staff,” Mr Haynes said.

But even the new LCLHN chairman was a fly in fly out doctor from Adelaide, along with several other board members.

“Most hospitals now rely on fly-in fly-out doctors and locums,” Mr Haynes said.

“So are they (consultants) saying our hospitals are not safe?

“Are they saying the services provided by Mildura, Warrnambool, Griffith and Albany are not safe?

“Should we let those services know they have been found to be unsafe?”

Mr Haynes said the company which wanted to provide the radiation therapy service, Icon Cancer Care, was also going to provide the staff.

“So what has staffing got to do with the LCLHN anyway?” he said.

Gaps in report

“The feeling from our working group – after meeting with the LCLHN – was one of high emotion and extreme disappointment.

“We felt we’d put forward a very good case. We were backed by the 20,000 plus people who signed our petition.

“The Limestone Coast has a population of more than 60,000, so one in three effectively had endorsed us as a working group on our ambition of getting radiation treatment.”

A further disappointment was no acknowledgement of the South East being the engine room of the State’s wealth.

“There was no recognition of our area, its economic contribution, and its large volume of people that, you know, effectively punch above their weight with their contribution to the State,” Mr Haynes said.

“There was no recognition that unfortunately, our region is over represented statistically, in Adelaide, and Warrnambool for treatment for cancers.”

Mr Haynes said around 70 percent of the occupancy at Greenhill Lodge, an accommodation centre for regional and rural people being treated for cancer, was people from the Limestone Coast.

He said a flow on effect of a radiation treatment service in the Limestone Coast had benefits for the entire state.

“It would free up more physicians, more nurses, more accommodation, all those things, for the people around Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, the Mid North, York Peninsula, West Coast and Pastoral areas.”

But that was not recognised by the study either.

We won’t give up

Mr Haynes said the working group would go through the 156 pages line by line, ask questions, and make a response.

Regarding a Cancer Consult Suite, Mr Haynes said the working group was always willing to help get improved cancer treatment services in the region, and would work with the LCHN to do that.

“We’re obviously very disappointed by the feasibility study. But we are still very much on a mission that we want radiation treatment in the Limestone Coast,” he said.

“We have all been touched by someone with cancer. We won’t forget all the signatories to our petition.

“We were hoping to have a more positive outcome for the people of this region. We won’t give up.”

Political issue for next election

Included on the working group is Liberal Legislative Council member Ben Hood who is also Shadow minister for Regional SA.

“The report dismisses a $1.5m annual ‘top-up’ from government funds as ‘not financially viable’, Mr Hood said.

“Yet, many parts of our State health system need such funds. This $1.5m pales compared to the $40m footy oval in Lyndoch for just 2000 people.”

With the next State election 19 months away, radiation therapy is likely to become an election issue for the region.

The next State election will be held on March 21, 2026.

This article appeared in the  Naracoorte Community News.
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