A letter detailing our Far South Coast State and Federal members concerns with the planning of the Eurobodalla Hospital has landed on the desks of Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, and State Health Minister, Ryan Park.
In addition to a letter from Eurobodalla Council, another document has been signed by Eden Monaro MP Kristy McBain, and Gilmore Member, Fiona Phillips, and Bega MP, Dr Michael Holland, detailing their united concerns about planning of radiotherapy services in the new Eurobodalla hospital precinct.
The construction phase of the new hospital has just started and Dr Holland said there was a very short window remaining available to include radiotherapy services in the plans.
“I’ve co-signed the letter with my colleagues Kristy McBain and Fiona Phillips,” Dr Holland said.
“We’ve invited the ministers to further discuss the prevision of radiation oncology services to our constiuents in the Bega electorate,” he continued.
“It is imperative that the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital has the promised radiation services delivered by our Labor Governments.”
It comes just over a week after a report was released due to a freedom of information request, showed there was sustainable demand for radiotherapy services in the Eurobodalla.
Professor Michael Reid’s “Independent Review into Access to Radiation Therapy Services for Residents of the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley” was commissioned by NSW Health and published in September 2023, but only released at the start of September.
The report found there is enough demand on the Far South Coast to support radiotherapy services at the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital but there are no current plans for the hospital to include radiotherapy services.
In July, Bega MP, Dr Michael Holland originally said the cost of adding radiotherapy services to the Eurobodalla Regional Hospital would be close to $50 million however a week later, at a public meeting at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, Southern NSW Local Health District CEO, Margaret Bennett, indicated to fully commission a linear accelerator and radiotherapy service would cost “in the vicinity of $100 million”.
A Southern NSW Local Health District (LHD) spokesperson said Professor Reid’s report does not include up-to-date costs for building, maintaining and staffing a new service.
“The report is informing ongoing district planning and negotiations with the Australian Government in relation to the provision of radiation therapy services,” the spokesperson said.
“The Report references comparable radiotherapy service developments dating back 10 years, but does not include up-to-date costs for building, maintaining and staffing a new service within the Eurobodalla. The Report’s costing examples also do not account for the increase in construction costs affecting the building industry globally.”
Dr Holland said he’s looking forward to working with Minister McBain and Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips, as well as our Health Ministers to further develop a plan to get radiation services in the Eurobodalla Hospital.
“The recent report by Professor Mick Reid which was commissioned by NSW Health, has shown that the service is needed and can be provided in a safe manner,” Dr Holland said.
“It was estimated to cost $30 million with recurring costs of $3.5 million per annum.”
A figure that is significantly less than the $100 million quote given by Southern NSW Local Health.
Support from the Federal and State Health Ministers could make the difference between having a service available in 2027 when the hospital opens as opposed to 2029/30, with obvious implications for the patients’ health outcomes.
Dakota Edsea, is a Eurobodalla local, who had to travel from Moruya to Sydney on a regular basis after her six-month-old boy, Eli was dianosed with a rare form of leukemia.
“We definitely need those services,” Ms Edsea said.
“There are so many people that have to travel so far, and so many people that don’t have the means of getting there and back,” she said.
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“We need more services available in the region, especially as we are such a fast-growing area, we just need to have radiation services available.”
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