- Published:
- Tuesday 13 October 2015
Under a historic agreement reached between the Victorian and NSW Governments and Albury Wodonga Health, cancer patients in Albury-Wodonga and the surrounding region will now be able to receive free public radiotherapy services.
This will provide free treatment to around 740 cancer patients in the first year.
Under the agreement, GenesisCare will provide public radiotherapy treatment from the Murray Valley Radiation Oncology Centre on Nordsvan Drive in Wodonga.
GenesisCare will then move into the $65 million state-of-the-art Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre when it opens its doors in mid-2016.
The Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre will feature 30 inpatient beds, 30 chemotherapy chairs, three radiotherapy bunkers, consulting suites, and a wellness centre.
This new arrangement will mean cancer patients from the Albury-Wodonga region can access the highest quality radiotherapy treatment for free, and closer to home.
Curative radiotherapy is typically provided daily for between four and eight weeks, and patients in this region are currently forced to travel to Melbourne or Bendigo to access public services.
This new agreement with GenesisCare will also reduce pressure on other public radiotherapy services in Bendigo and Melbourne that currently provide care to Albury-Wodonga patients.
Quotes attributable to the Victorian Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy
“This historic agreement will mean cancer patients in Albury-Wodonga and beyond will no longer need to travel hundreds of kilometres to access free, lifesaving radiotherapy treatment.”
“We’re working to increase access to radiotherapy across Victoria, to improve outcomes for patients and make it easier for them to receive treatment.”
Quotes attributable to the NSW Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner
“This is a great example of patients benefitting from partnerships between governments and the private sector, in this case GenesisCare.
“In NSW, our aim is always to provide comprehensive care for patients as close as possible to their homes and I’m delighted this has been achieved through this historic contract.”