The wait list to see a radiation oncologist has reached 157, the highest it has ever been and more than twice the board’s ideal wait list. The worst in the country. In the first quarter of this year fewer than half the patients referred as urgent because of high suspicion of cancer received their first treatment within 62 days, as they should have according to the Health Ministry. Access to scans is a large part of the problem and how hearts must sink with the report that a business case for a new, additional MRI scanner is expected – in December. New board chairman Pete Hodgson is emerging as a flinty hand at the tiller (to the extent that this could be said of any health board chair) and his reaction plain impatience: this was intolerable, and if it’s evident a second MRI machine is needed “then buy the thing’’.
John Hawkins/Stuff
Southern District Health Board bowel cancer programme manager Emma Bell with the screening kit which sent out to people aged between 60 and 74 around the district. (File photo).
The Southern District Health Board reports 235 cases of bowel cancer have been detected in people aged between 60 and 74 in Southland and Otago through the National Bowel Screening Programme in almost three years. With the third anniversary of the programme approaching next week, the board reported close to 50,000 residents in that age bracket had completed their at-home tests between April 24, 2018, and January 31, 2021. Of the 14,765 Southlanders who participated, 865 received a positive test result, with 80 receiving a bowel cancer diagnosis.
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Press Release – Capital and Coast District Health Board
People aged 60-74 years living in Kapiti, Porirua, and Wellington and who are enrolled with a GP can expect an invitation to participate in the free National Bowel Screening programme over the next two years.
The screening programme – already in place in the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa – starts in Wellington this week, with the first invitations expected to receive some people this month.
“Bowel cancer, especially in its early stages, may not cause any symptoms,” said Capital & Coast DHB programme clinical lead Dr Estella Johns.
“By screening every two years, we aim to detect these cancers and save lives. Being able to offer bowel screening at CCDHB is exciting. We’ve worked hard to ensure we have all the systems in place to be able to treat any cancers we find and still maintain our other services.”