CANCER patients will now have someone to walk beside them through treatment with a new cancer care nurse for Tamworth.
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JobLink Plus has fully funded the position with $650,000 to keep the care coordinator at the hospital for the next four years.
Tamworth Hospital general manager Catharine Death said it’s rare to have such a crucial position in regional Australia.
“It’s extremely difficult, any cancer diagnosis is frightening and shocking for any family to transverse particularly with rural people,” she said.
“A lot of the people we deal with come from isolated areas, they don’t understand the system so I think this position provides that safety net for patients and takes some of the worry away for them so they can focus on looking after their loved one.
“It’s a position that a lot of regional areas don’t have and it adds to the comprehensive care we give in our cancer centre – Tamworth is extremely blessed.”
The cancer care coordinator has already started at the hospital and works with patients in oncology and hematology.
Before the nurse, patients and their families were often left to handle the coordination of their treatment themselves or sometimes with the help of a social worker.
The new position is likely to draw further cancer treatment opportunities to the region Dr Death said.
“This position puts us on the map, it shows we’re a big service in our own right and the patients we look after are just as important as anyone else.”
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The funding was announced at a morning tea in Tamworth on Friday, attended by major care groups like Breast Cancer Support, Prostate Cancer Support, the Lioness Wig Library and Look Good Feel Better.
JobLink Plus community service manager Emily Roy doled out another $3000 to the support services.
Breast and prostate cancer support groups were given $1000 each and the wig library and Look Good Feel Better workshops received $500 respectively.
“I think one of the big things is that it’s about the psychological and social help that’s provided – I think why we respond so well as a community to supporting people with cancer is because we recognise it’s a challenge,” she said.
“You fight mentally and emotionally as well – you’re faced with your own mortality and that’s huge for people.”
The nurse works with all types of cancer and puts anyone who needs the service in touch with support groups and coordinates care.
“The support the nurse provides will be key, without it people felt a bit lost in navigating the system,” Ms Roy said.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
