Makes me see red
I read, today, an intersting article on the ABC website about some of the issues faced by rural and regional people who have breast cancer or are at high risk of developing it. I'm not as remote as the woman who was featured, but even here there are struggles. One of the biggest issues is affordable specialist care. There are few, if any, public services and you do not always get informed about them. You get referred to the company that covers your region even if there are more affordable services within reach. I've spent ten years fighting this fight, and I know what the facts are. ABC interviewed an oncologist who agreed that, yes, there are unique challenges that lead to poor outcomes for county folk. Distance is one thing, cost is another. If you are on a pension or low income and have to fork out specialist fees that are well above the metropolitan rates it makes a shitty situation even worse. It is a pity ABC did not ask that individual what they, and their business, was doing to address equity of access for rural and regional people. I really do wish they had asked that. I wonder what the answer would be? Last time I asked a member of that business that exact question, in a public forum, the response was 'Be careful what you wish for, you wouldn't want to be waiting in clinics like the big public hospitals.' Really. Most of us have either money or time. You should not have to go into debt to fund services that are bulk billed elsewhere. This shit infuriates me.
New Podcast: Accessing Support for Breast Cancer in Regional and Rural Locations
Hello everyone! We've just released a new podcast about Accessing Support for Breast Cancer in Regional and Rural Locations. To listen, please follow this link, https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/resources/podcasts/episode-36-accessing-support-for-breast-cancer-in-regional-and-rural-locations/ The full list of previous podcasts, can be viewed here https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/resources/podcasts/.
A new Cancer Clinic in Sydney to include Regional NSW Hospital partnerships as well
$20 million to establish world-leading clinical trial centre for all NSW residents 17 August 2024 A world-leading clinical trial centre in Sydney will soon provide increased access to international cancer clinical trials, thanks to a $20 million donation to the NORTH Foundation from philanthropists Greg Poche AO and the late Kay Van Norton Poche AO. The NORTH Sydney Trials and Research Van Norton Poche (NORTH S.T.A.R VNP) is a partnership between Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) and world-renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. NORTH S.T.A.R VNP will be located at the Sydney North Health Precinct, which includes Royal North Shore and North Shore Private hospitals, and will be available to all Australians, with regional NSW hospital partnerships also established. The centre will also be used to attract the next generation of doctors, scientists and researchers to Australia and provide greater funding to discover cures through research and development. Within months of the launch, the Centre will open four new studies including three clinical trials, providing access to new treatments for patients across metropolitan, regional and rural NSW. More info below: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20240817_00.aspx
Oncology in the bush.
so I have completed the axillary clearence and hopefully will get the drain out tomorrow. The oncology dept just rang and I have my first appointment at Orange base with Dr Lauren Bradbury on the 5/03/19. I will be signed off from the surgeon the previous week. The kilometres are bad. The driving stressful. I will be glad when treatment gets sent to Parkes. I would like to ask what I should expect at this first appointment ?Patients Assistance Travel Schemes - rebates & rules as at July 2025
We have a private BCNA group for those living in Rural, Regional and Remote areas of Australia - join up if you have to travel distances to your treatment. Group: Connecting rural, regional & remote areas | BCNA Online Network If you live in a rural/regional or remote town and have to travel to access your specialists, surgery & treatment, then you are also eligible to receive rebates on both fuel and accommodation costs! If you (or someone you know) is aged between 15 & 29, there is additional assistance - you can read about it here: Accommodation thru You Can Stay if aged 15-29 for rural/regional/remote cancer patients | BCNA Online Network One of the biggest cost (and time) factors for rural & remote patients - is the travel from home to the hospital or Dr/Services that you require as the ongoing part of your treatment and also accommodation costs. Many of us don't find out about the Patients Assistance Travel Schemes until we are well into our treatment schedules & some may have missed the opportunity to claim at all, as most have a time frame whereby submissions need to be done - or you miss out. I have found a site called National Rural Health Alliance .... it might be worth keeping an eye on it, as a source of information - for all states. https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/advocacyhttps://www.ruralhealth.org.au/publication/fact-sheet/patient-assisted-travel-schemes-guide/ They currently have a PDF of ALL the State's Patient Travel Assistance Schemes in the one document ..... Make sure you save it to your files! Most states now have a 'total' Km total per week available, not just the 'one way' Km. So if you are doing radiation Mon-Fri - you 'may' qualify under the 'weekly km' figure. NSW is 200k/week, but Vic is a huge 500k/week! 🤨 SOME states have special consideration for Oncology and Kidney dialysis patients .... it may be worth enquiring about that! Here is a basic guide to all states - This is the July 2025 'guide' - the Websites and Phone numbers should also help & I'll update the info if/when they put up the latest document. Click the link below and then 'click on' View PDF ... and download it to your computer ... even print off YOUR state's info!! https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/publication/fact-sheet/patient-assisted-travel-schemes-guide/ ACT: https://www.canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1985479/ACT-Interstate-Patient-Travel-Assistance-Scheme-Assessment-Guidelines.pdf NSW: https://www.iptaas.health.nsw.gov.au/home NT: https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing/health-subsidies-support-and-home-visits/patient-assistance-travel-scheme QLD: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/services/travel/subsidies SA: https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/Public%20Content/SA%20Health%20Internet/Services/Regional%20Health%20Services/Patient%20Assistance%20Transport%20Scheme/Patient%20Assistance%20Transport%20Scheme TAS: https://www.health.tas.gov.au/patients/support-services-your-visit-hospital/travel-support-ptas VIC: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/rural-health/victorian-patient-transport-assistance-scheme-vptas WA: https://www.wacountry.health.wa.gov.au/Our-patients/Patient-Assisted-Travel-Scheme-PATS🏡 The journey can look completely different for our rural, regional and remote community members – and we are here to help.
We want to take a moment to acknowledge that the breast cancer journey can be especially challenging for those living in regional, rural and remote areas. From limited access to specialists and treatment centres, to the toll of travelling long distances for care, these members often face extra layers of complexity. Your voice matters and can form change to help yourselves and others in this position. For those interested, you might like to participate in this public consultation to develop a new Optimal Care Pathway - open until tomorrow night. Our helpline is here to help you navigate the journey for those living in less accessible areas, and any resources that have helped you overcome this challenge may be the answer someone else is waiting for. 💬 If you haven't already, connect with others in the Online Network group: Connecting rural, regional & remote areasCan you add more suggestions re travel & accommodation schemes in Australia
NSW Gov is asking for comments re travel & accomodation schemes - but, really, it relates to ALL states .... If you live in rural/regional/remote areas, make your concerns KNOWN to the powers that be ..... and JOIN OUR PRIVATE GROUP to share/agitate for better reimbursements! https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/nsw-regional-health-plan?fbclid=IwAR1pSqCbCrPsargRf6xFxO817kIRjlrwB7Ll6evGRs1AOivg5VC9ZIaaWyU I reckon it is all of the above - as the hoops needed to jump thru for IPTAAS are ridiculous. 3 things that need to change asap - 1) ALL family members on the Medicare card should be able to contribute to the 200k a week travel required to access the payments - not each individual having to travel that amount themselves. 2) The specialist referrals for chronic/terminal conditions should last for the length of the treatment, not needing a new referral every 2 years. Either the patient gets better & the treatment/claims stop - or the patient passes away & the treatment/claims stop. 3) Essential Dental Treatment (eg extractions required before undergoing some forms of chemo) currently need to be done in a hospital to be able to make a claim (which takes up essential hospital beds) when they can be readily done in the Dental Chair .... THIS NEEDS to be changed - as we still need to travel for the service, but are not allowed to claim for it & it is an essential part of the patient's treatment. NOT having it done, can cause death or permanent disfigurement. And that is just the beginning ...... feel free to do the survey, tell them your ideas - hopefully some of them will be carried thru!Regional and Rural Information forums - We want your feedback!
The below post was recently added to the private group Living in Regional, Rural and Remote areas . If you are not a member of this group and live rural, regional or remote, please consider joining. (Refer to the Monash Modified Model (MMM) that classifies locations according to geographical remoteness via the link https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/modified-monash-model-fact-sheet Hi Members, BCNA will be delivering information forums to regional, rural and remote communities, more details on the locations and dates will be shared soon. Traditionally these have been delivered as full day events from 9.30-3.00. We acknowledge the current cost of living crisis, work and personal commitments might make it challenging for people to attend a whole day event. So we are hoping to get a better understanding on preferred timings from our members. If you could please take the time to complete this short survey to help with the planning of the upcoming forums. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=dgJVk0E5rkyacWRewHkFZW92LAal_5RAn6S9wZSqa_hURU9VU1NLNjlTWTlORFJMTTNHTlVFQlE5Qi4u
