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Improving the safety of radiotherapy in Australia

The safety and quality of radiotherapy in Australia will be improved by Commonwealth funding for a uniform training program, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson has announced.

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17 July 2003

Improving the safety of radiotherapy in Australia

The safety and quality of radiotherapy in Australia will be improved by Commonwealth funding for a uniform training program, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson announced today.

"I have approved a total of $396,000 to support medical physics in Australia, especially to help establish a nationally uniform training program," Senator Patterson said.

Out of this funding, the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM), the peak body for medical physicists, will receive $300,000 to develop and implement a number of important projects. This is in addition to a previous grant of $70,000 to develop training standards.

The University of Adelaide and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, who provide training to this professional group, will also receive funding of $96,000 which will help them to meet ACPSEM's standards.

"For radiotherapy to be safe and of a high quality we need adequate numbers of well-trained radiation oncology medical physicists. As part of my commitment to making a difference to cancer treatment in Australia we will continue to work towards achieving these required numbers," Senator Patterson said.

"My Department will continue to work with States and Territories to improve the standards and safety of this industry and look at ways to increase the numbers of radiation oncology professionals," Senator Patterson said.

Media Contact Officer is Randal Markey on Ph: 02 6277 7220 or 0417 694 520.