❓ A WA parliamentary question highlights long wait times for PET scans, prompting the Minister for Health to outline steps being taken to improve access, including staffing increases and technology upgrades, while also pointing to Commonwealth government shortcomings.
AnsweredQoN 528Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I advise the minister that both Penny and Sandy, whom he heard speak on the radio this morning, are in the public gallery. I refer to my question of 25 August regarding the 409 patients who are waiting for a positron emission tomography scan and to the funding commitments made by the minister in response. (1) Is the minister aware that the patient he referred to as a low priority and who had been waiting five months for her scan has now been diagnosed as having two secondary tumours? (2) Is the minister aware that the patient has paid her own fares and scan costs to be assessed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne? (3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
I refer to my question of 25 August regarding the 409 patients who are waiting for a positron emission tomography scan and to the funding commitments made by the minister in response. (1) Is the minister aware that the patient he referred to as a low priority and who had been waiting five months for her scan has now been diagnosed as having two secondary tumours? (2) Is the minister aware that the patient has paid her own fares and scan costs to be assessed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne? (3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(1) Is the minister aware that the patient he referred to as a low priority and who had been waiting five months for her scan has now been diagnosed as having two secondary tumours? (2) Is the minister aware that the patient has paid her own fares and scan costs to be assessed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne? (3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(2) Is the minister aware that the patient has paid her own fares and scan costs to be assessed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne? (3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
I refer to my question of 25 August regarding the 409 patients who are waiting for a positron emission tomography scan and to the funding commitments made by the minister in response. (1) Is the minister aware that the patient he referred to as a low priority and who had been waiting five months for her scan has now been diagnosed as having two secondary tumours? (2) Is the minister aware that the patient has paid her own fares and scan costs to be assessed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne? (3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(1) Is the minister aware that the patient he referred to as a low priority and who had been waiting five months for her scan has now been diagnosed as having two secondary tumours? (2) Is the minister aware that the patient has paid her own fares and scan costs to be assessed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne? (3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(2) Is the minister aware that the patient has paid her own fares and scan costs to be assessed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne? (3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(3) Is the minister also aware that the scanner in Melbourne assesses 90 patients a week compared with half that number being assessed in Perth, and that the waiting list is 25 patients in Melbourne and 409 patients in Perth? (4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(4) When will the minister provide the funding promised for the urgent upgrade of the existing machine and for a new PET scanner? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
(1)-(4) I am aware of the matters to which the member for Dawesville refers. In respect of each of those two cases, Ms Penny Bladen and Ms Sandy Treloar, I have sought information on their condition, and on what needs to be done to ensure that the difficulties that have arisen in recent times are addressed. The member for Peel raised with me recently the situation with Ms Treloar and said he wanted me to do everything possible to ensure that circumstances like these were addressed properly in the future. I thank him for that approach. These are very serious matters. I do not think anything could be more disturbing for a cancer patient than knowing that a diagnostic tool is available but not being able to readily access that tool. The government is very keen to address that matter. Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Until two year ago, the state did not have a positron emission tomography scanner. Patients who needed to be scanned were sent interstate in order to undertake that procedure. I opened the first PET scanner at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital two years ago. This is the only PET scanner in the public system in Western Australia. It is of relatively recent origin. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to offer this service to everybody who needs it. Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Three issues are involved. An old PET scanner is owned by SKG Radiology, and we are in the process of trying to negotiate a partnership with that company. We need the commonwealth government to come to the party to ensure that in appropriate cases the Medicare rebate is paid in order to offset the cost of that procedure. The commonwealth government has been recalcitrant in this area in two respects - Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Mr M.J. Birney : It’s the federal government’s fault again, is it? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Listen to the answer. A lot of people are very interested in this matter. The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
The commonwealth has been recalcitrant by, firstly, not giving a Medicare licence, and, secondly, not keeping up to date and reviewing the clinical circumstances that justify the use of a PET scan. I do not criticise the commonwealth generally in health matters because I enjoy working closely with the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, as members in this place know. On this occasion, he has not come to the party in a way that would help cancer patients in Western Australia. Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
Two matters sit solely in the state’s area of responsibility. The first relates to staff. We do not have enough staff to run the machine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital around the clock, as would be the case if we had the staff and the funding to do so. We recently recruited an additional technologist. From October, the service will be offered on Saturdays in order to increase the number of people who can receive scans. That will be a step in the right direction. There is a worldwide, not only Australia-wide, shortage of appropriately trained staff in this area. The Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital PET machine cannot operate 24 hours a day with the current staff. I understand that staff currently work 12 hours a day, and it would be unreasonable to expect staff to work more than those hours. The recruitment of the additional staff member will enable more scans to be done through opening on Saturdays, with effect in a few weeks. We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
We are earnestly addressing the other issue of the nature of the technology. The machine referred to by the member for Dawesville at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is more advanced technology than the WA machine. We can get a replacement machine or upgrade the software on the existing machine. We are looking at doing both those things in order to ensure that future demand is met. I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
I return to my starting point: two years ago we did not have a PET scanner in Western Australia; we now have one, which is working to the capacity of the staff limits. We want to extend that capacity. No greater peace of mind can be offered to people than undertaking the scan and being assured about what is going on. I heard Ms Treloar say on the radio this morning that having gone to the private provider at a cost of $650, she has been found to be in remission. We can all be grateful for that.
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