Hospitals Must Meet Guidelines On Cancer Treatment

Health Minister Bill English said today it was unacceptable for hospitals to leave cancer patients waiting for treatment longer than the approved clinical guidelines.

"I have written to all hospitals providing radiotherapy treatment advising them that they are responsible for ensuring cancer patients receive treatment within the timeframes set by cancer specialists.

"The recent situation at MidCentral Health, where a signficant number of cancer patients had to wait for treatment for longer than the approved clinical guidelines, is unacceptable.

"All hospitals that provide radiotherapy treatment must closely monitor their waiting times. Should it appear that any patient would not be able to receive their treatment within the approved timeframes set by doctors, then every effort must be made to arrange for the patient to be transferred to another centre.

"The Ministry of Health will provide me with weekly reports on waiting times for radiotherapy around the country. It will also be bringing together the six hospitals which provide radiotherapy services to discuss future needs.

"In addition, the Health Funding Authority will continue to monitor the contracts it has with these hospitals. It would appear that MidCentral Health has been in breach of its contract for some time and any future problems must be dealt with quickly. I have asked the HFA and the Ministry to work closely together on this issue so that patients can be confident they will get the necessary treatment within the right time," said Mr English.