Northland DHB is in line to get a Linac radiotherapy machine similar to this one.
Northland DHB is in line to get a Linac radiotherapy machine similar to this one.
A new cancer radiotherapy machine promised to Northland will save lives but there is no telling yet when it will be up and running.
Dealing with cancer becomes even more formidable for patients also suffering the tyranny of distance, Cancer Society Northland manager Jenni Moore said.
''We absolutely welcome anything that brings services closer to Northland,'' she said.
As well as shortening waiting times for some treatments, having radiotherapy in Whangārei will take away much of the stress Northland people feel about being far from home. Some travel five or more hours for the treatment and have to stay in the city for weeks at a time without their family near, Moore said.
''Sometimes we have a low rate of uptake for treatment in Auckland because of that. It can be just too much for people to manage. Accessing travel grants [for people living further than 100km from Whangārei] and having someone to help at home or accompanying the person to Auckland can be complicated, particularly for families with children.''
Northland District Health Board (NDHB) figures show that in 2018, 453 people travelled from Northland to Auckland Hospital for radiation treatment - or 14 per cent of Auckland DHB's treatment volume.
Moore said there is no doubt the equipment will improve cancer mortality rates in Northland. Statistics in recent years showed the NDHB's area had the highest rate in New Zealand, ''and was particularly linked with distance and deprivation''.
Announcing on the weekend that Northland would be one of several regions to get a linear accelerator machine (Linac) from a $25 million nationwide fund, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described cancer patients' current accessibility to radiotherapy as a ''postcode lottery''.
But there is no telling at this stage — nor would the DHB take a stab at — when one of the Government's promised 12 new Linacs might be up and running in Northland.
NDHB chief operating officer Paul Welford agreed travel times were often a barrier for Northland patients needing treatment in Auckland. He said the Northland board and its Auckland counterpart had been in talks about the need for a LINAC in Northland.
''We therefore welcome the Government's announcement as this provides us with clarity and direction for service planning,'' Welford said.
''A dedicated work programme for this service is now under way and is a part of the national plan to refresh the Linacs across New Zealand.''
The radiotherapy unit is likely to be adjacent to the Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre at Whangārei Hospital.
Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre's official opening in 2014.
As well as a purpose-built treatment centre with specific safety measures — a ''bunker'', appropriately trained staff will be employed. Welford said NDHB will work with other DHBs to identify a staffing model.
Some patients will still need to travel to Auckland for more specialised radiation and related treatments, he said.
Much of Cancer Society Northland's community fundraising goes directly toward helping Northland patients and their support person, usually a family member, stay at Auckland's Domain Lodge during the treatment period.
''We provide 18,000 bed nights at Domain Lodge a year, the vast majority of those for people from Northland,'' Moore said.
