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Registered nurse Katie Federici, registered nurse Sarah Morris, Jun Liu (patient), Donald McRae (patient), Wayne Ace (patient), Ambulatory oncology and medical infusion services acting clinical nurse Taija Kennedy, clinical nurse consultant Ainsley Ferrando, and clinical nurse consultant Eve Eynon (on screen). Photo supplied.
A new telehealth service means Burdekin cancer patients can now receive chemotherapy in Ayr, cutting hours of travel and easing the burden on patients and their families.
The service will see patients consult remotely with a doctor from the Townsville Cancer Centre and receive treatment under supervision from a trained nurse at the Ayr Health Service.
Burdekin local Wayne Ace, who was receiving treatment after having a cancer removed, called the service a godsend for him and his family.
Mr Ace previously had to travel to Townsville for treatment, meaning he could be out of bed by 5am and not home until after 6pm.
The trip involved blood tests, a doctor consultation and chemotherapy, while finding someone to accompany him could turn treatment into an exhausting full-day commitment for both.
Now, Mr Ace can receive his treatment in Ayr in just a couple of hours every fortnight.
“It’s relieved a lot of the stress and anxiety of needing to get the treatment which has been huge for my family and me,” he said.
Ambulatory oncology and medical infusion services acting clinical nurse consultant Taija Kennedy said the service was already proving successful despite being in its early stages.
“This is quality of life improvement for our Burdekin oncology patients and their friends and family,” Ms Kennedy said.
The service is currently limited in the number of patients it can treat each week, but Ms Kennedy said there was capacity for it to grow.
“A lot of work has gone on in the background to make this possible and it’s exciting to see this important service available for our patients in their hometown.”
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