KEY POINTS:
A district health board is to send 17 patients to Australia for cancer treatment.
The breast and prostate cancer patients from MidCentral Health are escaping waits of up to 12 weeks at Palmerston North's regional cancer treatment service, the Manawatu Standard reported.
Up to three breast cancer patients a week will also go to Waikato, said cancer treatment service group manager Penny O'Leary.
Up to 180 cancer patients are waiting to start radiation treatment in Palmerston North.
Some of them are facing waits up to three times longer than Health Ministry guidelines recommend.
Ms O'Leary said she hoped sending people to Australia would be a temporary solution as staff worked to build capacity at home.
"The main issue is the level of expertise, particularly in planning," she said.
There are two radiation therapists vacancies. A replacement linear accelerators is planned for next year.
- NZPA
