Image: Narromine’s Nano Moody after finishing her first lot of treatment at the Western Cancer Medical Centre in Dubbo.
Data released from the Bureau of Health Information’s Outpatient Cancer Clinics survey revealed people across Western NSW Local Health District receiving cancer treatment have reported a high rating of care whilst being treated in regional cancer centres.
Unfortunately, long waits for appointments, scans and bloodwork results can still leave rural cancer patients in limbo and add to the stress of coping with the disease, well ahead of reaching the cancer centre (read our earlier article Inequitable spending on health results in much poorer outcomes in the bush).
Once there, ninety-eight per cent of cancer centre patients rated care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’ and the same percentage of patients stated health professionals treated them with respect and dignity, kindness and care.