The Rudd Government will invest $5.8 million to provide equipment for a comprehensive cancer centre at Coffs Harbour Hospital, as part of the North Coast Cancer Institute Regional Cancer Service.
With some cancers, patients from rural areas are up to three times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis than their counterparts in urban areas. This $5.8 million investment in Coffs Harbour will work towards improving the services and care for the more than 32,000 NSW residents diagnosed with cancer each year.
The investment will fund the purchase of a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine.
It is part of a $19.7 million investment which will bring new equipment to the facility's Coffs Harbour, Lismore and Port Macquarie campuses.
This includes a second linear accelerator and a Positron Emissions Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scanner and accommodation at Lismore, and a new linear accelerator at Port Macquarie.
The additional infrastructure will also underpin planning for future expansion of radiotherapy services in this region.
This initiative builds on the Rudd Government's investment of $8.6 million to expand the Coffs Harbour Hospital. This includes $8.2 million for the emergency department and more than $400,000 to reduce the elective surgery waiting list.
While Australia has better overall cancer survival rates than comparable countries, there is still unacceptable variation for some people, depending on the type of cancer, a person's socioeconomic status or where they live.
The integrated North Coast Cancer Institute forms part of the Rudd Government's $560 million commitment to establish regional cancer centres so that Australians can get care closer to home and their community.
Since coming into office, the Government has committed over $2.3 billion in cancer infrastructure, medicines, screening and research.
Today's announcement also shows the benefit of the Federal Government stepping up to the plate and providing funding for health services across Australia.
Under the National Health and Hospitals Network, the Rudd Government would provide 60 per cent of the funding for capital upgrades for public hospitals.
The Rudd Government's plan will see health services funded nationally and run locally through local hospital networks to deliver better outcomes for local communities.