Latest news with #ruralHealth
ABC News
18 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Mailbag: More complexity in prostate cancer testing
Norman Swan: So let's go to the mailbag now. Preeya Alexander: Yes, so I was not here, I was off gallivanting last week, but you've done a story… Norman Swan: Feel free to criticise what we did. We wouldn't have been so crap if you'd been there. Preeya Alexander: That's not at all what I was suggesting. Norman Swan: Olivia was fantastic… Preeya Alexander: She's always fantastic. Norman Swan: So a GP has written in about our story on prostate cancer diagnosis and screening, although we didn't use that word. We had Jeremy Grummet on the show talking about the guidelines, because he took umbrage, because…this did involve you, because when you and I were talking about these guidelines that came out when they first came out, I was quite forceful in saying that the PSA blood test was crap. And Jeremy, who's been on the Health Report several times before, took umbrage at this and saying it's not crap with the new guidelines. So anyway, he came on to talk about the prostate cancer guidelines and to correct my image that the PSA was crap. And this GP who's written in says, 'I found Jeremy's comments to be the untypical, unrealistic comments that urban centric, non-GP specialists are prone to make.' And our correspondent is in fact a general practitioner. So he says, 'It takes a few seconds to tick the PSA request on a form, and that's the easy bit. The Herculean task is then to obtain access to a urologist and a prostate magnetic resonance imaging machine for a rural or regional patient. And let's not forget city dwellers without private insurance who are facing exactly the same problem.' Preeya Alexander: That's the thing. The blood test, the PSA, is often the easy part, I have to agree with this, and I work in a metropolitan region, but often it's the next steps, it's what do you do with the result, how likely is it to actually cause a problem, and how does the patient access the ongoing either urology input or scanning that they need, because it can be very costly. Norman Swan: And to be fair to Jeremy, he did talk about this disparity between city and country and this evidence. And Paul also writes in, 'I know this is anecdote, and I've no idea if it's evidence based,' but when he was a GP…we've obviously got more GPs listening to the program now that you're on because they want to check you out here, whether you're sullying the profession. 'I've had a few isolated patients with an extremely low PSA (in other words, under one) which slowly rose to be around about four.' And just to put this in perspective, I don't know if you know this, Preeya, but the original studies that were done I think it was at Stanford University by a urologist there, on PSA, he was suggesting you had a high risk of cancer at a PSA of 25. Preeya Alexander: I remember you saying this when we did the show several weeks ago… Norman Swan: And it's crept down. And what Paul's talking about is that this change in PSAs are really important, even at a low level. Preeya Alexander: Paul's saying the idea of having a baseline, perhaps. But I have to say, are you potentially detecting cancers which were never going to cause any problems? Because that's the whole debate with prostate cancer, isn't it; you might detect cancers that someone might live with and die with the cancer, as opposed to die of it. And so this attaining a baseline and routine testing, gosh, it's filled with conundrums, and you need to have a big chat to the patient beforehand. Norman Swan: And some people can have prostate cancer with a normal PSA. But what Jeremy would say, if I was channelling Jeremy Grummet here, is that that's what MRI is for, is to sort this out for you. And if there's nothing much there, then you can relax. Preeya Alexander: But it's not always easy to access, either the MRI or the urologist. As we've just said, it's a little bit of a conundrum I think still. Norman Swan: It is. Preeya Alexander: Yep, but we love hearing from you. So if you want to write in with any topic suggestions or comments or questions, it's healthreport@ Norman Swan: And you don't have to be a GP to write in. Preeya Alexander: No, you don't, please, ideally everybody, all community dwellers. Norman Swan: And don't forget our companion podcast, What's That Rash? , and this week we're going to be talking about concurrent workout regimes. Should you combine cardio with strength exercises? Interesting question, I'm sure it's dominated your life for a long time. Tune in to What's That Rash? to find out. We'll see you next week. Preeya Alexander: We will.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Lack of doctors causing cancer delays
A senior radiologist has said there are not enough doctors to keep up with the number of cancer patients needing scan results, diagnosis and treatment. Dr Tom Roques, vice president of clinical oncology at the Royal College of Radiologists, who also works at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, claimed the NHS was struggling to meet the government's 62-day diagnosis targets in cancer care. However, Steffan Aquarone, North Norfolk MP, believed another significant challenge was ensuring patients in rural areas could access treatment. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are determined to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster." Dr Roques described a shortage of both radiologists and doctors. He said: "People are waiting for scan results or waiting for diagnoses and we're also really short of cancer doctors. "There are delays further down the line in actually having that treatment because there aren't enough people to provide it." However, he says the problem was not just a Norfolk issue. "We are just not able to meet the government-set targets which themselves, are not that ambitious really. "If you don't have the staff and nurses and the physical space to treat them [patients] then people are not going to be able to have the treatment they deserve." Matt Sample, from Cancer Research UK, said the 62-day government target had been missed annually since 2015, with 74,000 people not beginning treatment within that target last year. He said: "For people affected by cancer, every single day waiting to get that diagnosis and begin treatment is a worrying and stressful time even when they are seen within targets. "When those targets are missed, those worries and stresses are just compounded - it can impact their treatment options and ultimately their outcomes. Liberal Democrat Aquarone agreed, saying "more people die than are necessary". He remains concerned about the ability of people in rural areas to get cancer care. "This is entirely about access to treatment," he said. Julie Keeling, nurse director for planned care at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, said: "Our latest validated figures show that as of March 2025, 51.8 % of patients receiving first treatment for cancer are treated by day 62, with 48.2 % of patients waiting over 62 days for first cancer treatment. It is encouraging that this is an improvement on previous data. "We know that we have more to do and are sorry that some patients have had to wait longer than expected to see us following a cancer referral." The Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are delivering 40,000 more appointments every week, investing £1.5bn in both new surgical hubs and AI scanners, rolling out cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to every region in the country and backing our radiologists and oncologists with above inflation pay rises for the second year in a row." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Cancer patient's treatment was delayed - coroner Hospital praised for breast cancer surgery wait time Hospital has second-longest waiting time for care NHS struggling to provide safe cancer care, say doctors Department of Health and Social Care Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Cancer Research UK
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Norwich radiologist says lack of doctors is causing cancer delays
A senior radiologist has said there are not enough doctors to keep up with the number of cancer patients needing scan results, diagnosis and treatment. Dr Tom Roques, vice president of clinical oncology at the Royal College of Radiologists, who also works at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, claimed the NHS was struggling to meet the government's 62-day diagnosis targets in cancer care. However, Steffan Aquarone, North Norfolk MP, believed another significant challenge was ensuring patients in rural areas could access treatment. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are determined to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster." Dr Roques described a shortage of both radiologists and doctors. He said: "People are waiting for scan results or waiting for diagnoses and we're also really short of cancer doctors."There are delays further down the line in actually having that treatment because there aren't enough people to provide it."However, he says the problem was not just a Norfolk issue. "We are just not able to meet the government-set targets which themselves, are not that ambitious really."If you don't have the staff and nurses and the physical space to treat them [patients] then people are not going to be able to have the treatment they deserve." Matt Sample, from Cancer Research UK, said the 62-day government target had been missed annually since 2015, with 74,000 people not beginning treatment within that target last year. He said: "For people affected by cancer, every single day waiting to get that diagnosis and begin treatment is a worrying and stressful time even when they are seen within targets. "When those targets are missed, those worries and stresses are just compounded - it can impact their treatment options and ultimately their outcomes. Liberal Democrat Aquarone agreed, saying "more people die than are necessary". He remains concerned about the ability of people in rural areas to get cancer care. "This is entirely about access to treatment," he said. Julie Keeling, nurse director for planned care at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, said: "Our latest validated figures show that as of March 2025, 51.8 % of patients receiving first treatment for cancer are treated by day 62, with 48.2 % of patients waiting over 62 days for first cancer treatment. It is encouraging that this is an improvement on previous data."We know that we have more to do and are sorry that some patients have had to wait longer than expected to see us following a cancer referral."The Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are delivering 40,000 more appointments every week, investing £1.5bn in both new surgical hubs and AI scanners, rolling out cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to every region in the country and backing our radiologists and oncologists with above inflation pay rises for the second year in a row." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Abortion pills to be easier to access after Greens bill passes in NSW despite opposition from Tony Abbott
New South Wales women will have easier access to abortion pills after the state passed a bill allowing nurse practitioners and registered midwives to prescribe the medication. The bill – which aims to improve access to healthcare for women in rural and regional areas – passed the lower house on Wednesday, despite vocal opposition including by former prime minister Tony Abbott. Greens health spokesperson and member of the upper house Dr Amanda Cohn's bill on medical abortions brings NSW in line with all other states and territories except Tasmania. A medical abortion involves taking prescribed abortion pills up to nine weeks gestation, while a surgical abortion is a procedure undertaken in a clinical setting. Opposition leader Mark Speakman told the lower house on Tuesday night he supported the bill and refused to 'cave to brazen bullying nor to the Americanisation of New South Wales politics' after he claimed in parliament that prominent anti-abortion campaigner Joanna Howe threatened to lead a grassroots campaign against his leadership if he supported the change. Speakman said the bill would not interfere with freedom of conscience of nurses and midwives and 'will probably lead to better, not worse, health outcomes for many pregnant women seeking abortions'. Independent Alex Greenwich, who moved the 2019 bill decriminalising abortion, supported the new changes and highlighted how many women in rural, regional and remote areas miss out on medical terminations because of delays to accessing care. Some communities don't have GPs and even in communities where there are GPs, getting a timely appointment can be difficult, and the only GP in the town might have a conscientious objection, Greenwich said. 'Medical abortions provide the least invasive and lowest risk termination option [… but] they can only be performed up until nine weeks gestation, which means there is a small window of opportunity that could easily be closed by delays,' Greenwich said. 'After that, the only option is a surgical abortion,' he said. Greens lower house MP Jenny Leong, who introduced the bill in the lower house, highlighted Guardian Australia's reporting in December which revealed only three of the 220 public hospitals in NSW consistently and openly provide surgical abortions. 'When reporting from the ABC and The Guardian revealed the scale and prevalence of barriers to abortion access in New South Wales, there was widespread outrage and concern in this place and beyond,' Leong said. 'The Greens knew, then, as we know now, that outrage alone without action was not going to be enough, and that is why today, I am so pleased to be able to bring this bill to this chamber.' All members except the Greens were allowed a conscience vote. The minister for health, Ryan Park, and shadow minister for health, Kellie Sloane, supported the bill. Park noted the 2024 statutory review of the abortion law reform act 2019 conducted by NSW Health, which recommended allowing highly qualified nurse practitioners and midwives to prescribe abortion medication in the case of pregnancies of up to nine weeks. The review noted that while the 2019 legislation decriminalising abortion had resulted in a more supportive environment for women to access abortion care, 'it has not always led to improvements in real and equitable access, particularly for women living in regional, rural or remote parts of NSW, Aboriginal women, culturally and linguistically diverse women and women who are socially and/or financially disadvantaged'. Liberal MP Anthony Roberts said he would not support 'legislation that increases the number of people who can administer a procedure that takes a life'. Roberts, as well as Liberal MPs Monica Tudehope and Ray Williams, were concerned about how the change would affect the health care of women and cited a study of medical abortions from the US-based think tank and advocacy group the Ethics and Public Policy Center published in April, which found an adverse event rate of over 10%, including sepsis, infection or haemorrhaging. In her closing remarks, Leong raised concerns with the reference to that paper, which she said the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists had described as a flawed report based on a faulty methodology. Labor MP Julia Finn criticised campaign tactics from those opposed to the bill, telling the lower house 'some of the campaign tactics engaged have amounted to bullying and spreading misinformation and disinformation—not lobbying.' She pointed in particular to the behaviour of Howe, who she said pressured members of parliament to vote against the bill and organised a rally outside NSW parliament, saying her behaviour had been 'dreadful'. Speakman told parliament that Howe emailed him, telling him that if premier Chris Minns voted for the bill and allowed its passage, she would lead a campaign across five marginal seats that are Labor-held. 'She then threatened: However, if you choose to vote for the bill, I will be left with no other choice but to suspend my planned campaign against Labor in order to lead a public campaign aimed at encouraging a grassroots opposition to you as Liberal leader,' Speakman said. The bill already passed the upper house on Thursday last week. However, it will have to return to the upper house in a few weeks' time to be officially passed into law due to a typographical error in the bill from the upper house. Howe has been approached for comment.
