$7.6 Million for Lyell Mcewin Hospital in Northern Adelaide
The Australian Government will invest $7.6 million to provide additional radiotherapy facilities and equipment at the Lyell McEwin Hospital, under the regional cancer centres initiative to deliver improved cancer services for rural and regional patients.
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Joint Release
The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
Nick Champion MP
Member for Wakefield
Tony Zappia MP
Member for Makin
18 May 2010The Rudd Government will invest $7.6 million to provide additional radiotherapy facilities and equipment at the Lyell McEwin Hospital, under the regional cancer centres initiative to deliver improved cancer services for rural and regional patients.
With some cancers, patients from rural areas are up to three times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis than their counterparts in urban areas. This $7.6 million investment will work towards improving cancer services and care for the more than 8,000 South Australian residents newly diagnosed with cancer each year.
The investment will fund a new bunker and additional linear accelerator at Lyell McEwin Hospital. This expanded facility will provide radiotherapy services for rural and regional cancer patients. The facility will link to the new regional cancer centre to be based at Whyalla as part of a joint $84.8 million investment by the Australian and South Australian Governments in the ‘Regional Cancer Services, South Australia’ project.
The new Whyalla regional cancer centre will also form part of a state-wide network of 11 chemotherapy units across country SA which include units located at Mt Barker, Mt Gambier, Port Augusta, Victor Harbor, Clare, Murray Bridge, Gawler, Northern Yorke Peninsula, Naracoorte and Port Lincoln.
The Rudd Government will invest a total of $69.8 million in new cancer infrastructure for South Australians through this project, and welcomes the $15million contribution from the South Australian Government.
The regional cancer centres initiative is part of the Government’s plan to build a world-class cancer care system in Australia that will enable rural and regional Australians to have better access to essential cancer services, deal more effectively with cancer treatment challenges, and live longer with a better quality of life.
While Australia has better overall cancer survival rates than comparable countries, there is still unacceptable variation for some people, depending on the type of cancer, a person's socioeconomic status or where they live.
The South Australian announcement forms part of the Rudd Government's $560 million commitment to establish a national network of best practice regional cancer centres so that Australians can get care closer to home and their community.
Since coming into office, the Government has committed over $2.3 billion for cancer infrastructure, medicines, screening and research.
Today's announcement also shows the benefit of the Federal Government stepping up to the plate and providing funding for health services across Australia.
Under the National Health and Hospitals Network, the Rudd Government would provide 60 per cent of the funding for capital upgrades for public hospitals.
The Rudd Government's plan will see health services funded nationally and run locally through local hospital networks to deliver better outcomes for local communities.
For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220.
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