Northland gets its first radiation unit
Most Northland cancer patients will soon be spared the arduous drive to Auckland for radiotherapy.
Whangārei Hospital has received government funding to build a radiation unit for oncology patients, expected to be completed in 2025.
There are currently no radiotherapy facilities in Northland, meaning about 470 Northlanders travel to Auckland for this type of cancer treatment every year. This will rise to between 500 and 600 by 2025, according to Northland District Health Board.
Jenni Moore, manager of Cancer Society Northland, said while the facility will ‘‘make a huge difference’’, it was long overdue.
‘‘We’re happy that it’s finally happening . . . Northland deserves to have services closer to home. It’s not right that there is a postcode lottery in New Zealand around what services you can get,’’ Moore said.
‘‘Northlanders have been really disadvantaged by having to travel so far. So, it’s a really great thing that it’s happening now. We wouldn’t want to see any more delays.’’
The radiation unit will be an expansion of the Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre and will include one linear accelerator (Linac) machine. Once complete, the new unit will have capacity to treat about 370 patients for radiotherapy a year.
Dr Nick Chamberlain, head of the Northland DHB, said there is a strong need for a facility like this.
‘‘Demand for radiotherapy has exceeded the capacity provided by the six Linac machines within the region since 2017, which are all currently located at Auckland Hospital,’’ he said.
Northlanders have been waiting for a radiotherapy treatment centre in their region since 2019.
The travel to Auckland has ‘‘been a huge burden’’ for cancer patients, Moore said.
‘‘Many people don’t have the money to put petrol in their cars . . . we’ve got a huge issue with poverty in Northland. Often when people do get funding [for travel], it’s paid after the fact. So it still means people have to find the money in the first instance.’’
Although the radiation unit will be helpful, it’s not a silver bullet for Northland cancer patients, Moore said. People will still have to travel to Whangārei from other parts of Northland.
‘‘We’re seeking urgent attention from the Ministry of Health and DHBs to ensure vulnerable cancer patients get the care they need, with adequate support,’’ she said.
Whangārei Hospital is in need of an upgrade after raw sewage was found leaking in walls in the medical wing. The hospital reached capacity earlier this year, and some cancer patients faced long wait times.
‘‘I think the DHB has done a really good job putting forward a facility that is actually going to be able to grow.
‘‘Anything that brings service closer to home for people is a major step forward,’’ Moore said.
The radiation unit will be fully funded by the Government, but the DHB refused to disclose how much funding it received, saying the information was ‘‘commercially sensitive’’.