Therapist departs unhealthy system

By CATHY ARONSON

Abigail Owsley became a radiation therapist to help people but after only a year of working, in which she had to turn patients away, she is taking a lucrative offer to work in Canada.

The 22-year-old Bachelor of Science graduate, who trained for three years, has been offered $70,000 a year to work at the London Regional Cancer Centre in Ontario, Canada.

At Waikato Hospital she is paid $32,000 and her future in New Zealand looks bleak after the District Health Board offered a 3 per cent pay increase.

Her union wants a 20 to 25 per cent pay increase to stem the flow of radiation therapists going overseas, which has created a shortage in New Zealand.

The union is considering striking.

Mrs Owsley said that although the increase would not compete with overseas, it would convince her to come back.

"I want to stay; this is my home. I feel guilty about making the shortage worse, but we will always be struggling in New Zealand."

Mrs Owsley said she would earn enough money to support herself and her new husband.

She had not considered the money when she trained to be a radiotherapist, she said. She had wanted to help people.

But she had never expected the emotional toll of watching patients deteriorate while they waited for treatment.

"I wanted to make a difference. I love the patients and find the work rewarding.

"But it's frustrating and embarrassing when you know how long someone has waited but you are working within a system that you can't do anything about."

In her first year at Waikato Hospital, 17 cancer patients had to fly to Australia for six to seven weeks of treatment. A third $4.2 million state-of-the-art cancer treatment Machine was installed at the hospital in January and the Government put an end to the trips.

But the Waikato cancer unit needs another eight staff to run the machine and cancer patients still face delays of 16 to 18 weeks.

In July, at least two women suffered relapses after being forced to wait too long for radiation therapy at Auckland Hospital.

Mrs Owsley said she felt guilty leaving New Zealand but could no longer handle the lack of staff and support.

"No matter how hard you work you never get any rewards from the people who know how hard your job is."

She said five of the 15 graduates in her year had already left the country.

Union president and Waikato clinical tutor Rob Hallinan said more than half of the students he had trained in the past five years had left the country.

"It is frustrating because you spend so much time with them and you need them so desperately but then they leave. At the same time, I understand why."

Nationally, 36 out of the 150 full-time equivalent positions at the six cancer units were vacant.

Mr Hallinan said the numbers began dropping in 1999 and showed no sign of stopping.

There was also an international shortage of radiation therapists, and New Zealand could not compete.

Mrs Owsley has taken a permanent position in Canada starting in April but will consider returning.

"I love my country and I love my job. I want to come home."