Tukituki MP Anna Lorck said there was plenty of land around the Hawke's Bay hospital to house a specialist cancer facility. Photo / Supplied
Tukituki MP Anna Lorck said there was plenty of land around the Hawke's Bay hospital to house a specialist cancer facility. Photo / Supplied
The Ministry of Health has approved $33.1m for a "stand-alone" public cancer treatment project in Hawke's Bay.
But a suitable site for it at Hawke's Bay Hospital has yet to be secured because the original site was identified in a newly commissioned business case as a better place to builda future new ICU and ED.
Tukituki MP Anna Lorck said the funding came through late last week for a $33.1m double bunker and Linac machine to deliver faster access to cancer treatment, subject to a site being found.
She said the original site for the cancer stand-alone project had now been identified as needing to make way for a major hospital rebuild, including a new ICU and ED.
But, she said, there was still plenty of land on and around the hospital, and the location of the site for the cancer facility now needed to be prioritised by the DHB.
"I've been supporting the HBDHB's proposal and advocating hard for the $33.1m funding, which has now been approved.
"It's critical to find an appropriate site so that this project can start as soon and I have strongly encouraged the board to consider a new site with urgency."
Lorck said it was "important to grab this opportunity" which formed part of the Regional Cancer Treatment Service that will continue helping improve equity of care, so people didn't need to travel to Palmerston North.
She said she had written to DHB chairman Shayne Walker requesting regular updates and a timeline on securing a new site.
She also requested updates on how the business case proposals for a new ICU and ED department were tracking as this formed a "significant part" of the first stage of the hospital's major refurbishment work.
"It's a huge credit to the HBDHB, management and team that in the face of Covid-19, and alert level restrictions that the hospital rebuild continues, including a new eighth operating theatre which is well under construction," Lorck said.
Hawke's Bay DHB's executive lead for LINAC project and executive director, Māori health Patrick Le Geyt said the DHB was delighted about the approval of its business case. Photo / Supplied
Hawke's Bay DHB's executive lead for Linac project and executive director, Māori health Patrick Le Geyt said the DHB was "delighted" to that its business case had been approved by the Ministry of Health for the development of a specialist facility to house a Linac.
"This will enable most Hawke's Bay cancer patients to access radiation treatment locally without having to travel to Palmerston North for treatment," he said.
"The DHB will now work on the finer details of the location, design as well as resource consent requirements to enable construction to get under way as soon as possible."
He said the DHB hoped to be able to update the community on progress by the year-end.
Le Geyt said Hawke's Bay DHB was also currently working with the Ministry of Health's Infrastructure Unit on a business case to redevelop Hawke's Bay Hospital, including ICU and ED, and looked forward to updating the community as the work progressed.
Currently Hawke's Bay District Health Board offers a number of services for patients who are having treatment for both cancer and blood cancer related conditions.
The cancer (oncology) services are subcontracted through Palmerston North's MidCentral District Health Board Cancer Centre.
The DHB has one medical oncologist and one MOSS on site supported with a visiting oncologist once a month, visiting haematologist every two weeks and weekly visiting radiation oncologists.
Chemotherapy treatment is available in Hawke's Bay in most cases. In certain circumstances some patients may require treatment in Palmerston North.
Radiation Oncology services are all provided through MidCentral and patients will need to travel to Palmerston North for treatment.
