CANCER Council’s Southern Region has welcomed a $28 million transport and accommodation boost for regional patients.
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The improvement to the government’s Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) will see thousands of cancer patients who travel long distances receiving vital, extra financial help.
Cancer Council NSW regional manager Merewyn Partland said the announcement by NSW Minister for Health and Medical research, Jillian Skinner, would be a relief for cancer patients.
Ms Partland said these patients faced “extraordinary additional costs” when they needed to travel and live away from home in order to access life saving treatment.
“Cancer Council NSW has been pushing for this announcement for a long time and we’re delighted that patients will now receive a 30 per cent boost in their accommodation subsidy and a 25 per cent boost in petrol subsidies,” she said.
“This was an election promise that’s been delivered.
“However, it’s important for the government to regularly review the scheme to ensure it meets changes in the cost of transport and accommodation.”
Ms Partland said the next important step would be to simplify the IPTAAS administration process to take further stress off patients.
The Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDA NSW) also welcomed the announcement.
RDA NSW president Dr Tilak Dissanayake said that the boost to the scheme was well overdue and would make a real difference to patients in the bush.
“The assistance that has been available to rural patients to help cover the expense of long journeys to access specialist care has been woeful,” Dr Dissanayake said.
“An increase in these allowances has been something that RDA NSW has campaigned for over many years.
“It is hard to believe that it is 11 years since there has been any increase in accommodation assistance payments.”
Accommodation payments will now be $43 for single (up from $33) and $60 for double (up from $46).
The travel allowance has gone up from 15 cents per km to 19 cents per km and the funding for staying with relatives or friends has had a huge increase from $30 to $140 per week.
“Possibly the best thing about this reform is that these subsidies will now be available to all rural patients who have to travel 200 kms or more in one week for treatment.
“Previously they were available exclusively to patients undergoing renal dialysis.”
Dr Dissanayake said it was very encouraging to see the NSW Coalition, and in particular Ms Skinner, responding to the concerns of rural doctors and fulfilling its election promise.
“There is much to be done to get the rural health system in NSW back on track but this is further evidence that work is being done to deliver a better healthcare deal for those living in the bush,” he said.
“We thank the O’Farrell Government for listening to their rural constituents and increasing the help available to them while they are going through what is invariably a difficult time.”
