CANCER treatment campaigners are angry that radiation oncology services will be rolled into the upgrade of Cairns Base Hospital instead of building a separate centre.
Committee for Oncology Unit Cairns Hospital supporters have slammed an independent report that has persuaded Queensland Health to include radiation oncology services in the hospital upgrade.
They fear it will take years to build, prolonging the suffering of cancer patients who need radiation oncology servies fast-tracked.
Committee chairman Charlie Woodward said he was disappointed but not surprised by Health Minister Stephen Robertson's decision and said the report his opinion was based on, by independent consultant KPMG, was flawed.
He said the committee would not stop working toward its goal to build a complete radiation cancer care centre. He demanded Mr Robertson reconsider the plan.
"We are not too happy at all," Mr Woodward told The Cairns Post yesterday. "Please don't shut the door to COUCH as we believe that the KPMG report is flawed and has not taken on board the wishes and aspirations of the Cairns and region community."
Mr Robertson said in a letter to COUCH he supported the need for radiation oncology services in Cairns but preferred it to be at the Esplanade site, not on land at Reservoir Rd that has been donated to COUCH by the Woodward family.
COUCH has also received donations of about $300,000 from the community.
The Federal Government chipped in $8.3 million towards a radiation oncology cancer treatment facility for Cairns and the committee had hoped the State Government would match the contribution.
Mr Robertson's letter said: "The development of such a service should occur within a three-year timeframe" as part of the hospital's recently announced multi-million dollar upgrade.
"You just have to look at what is needed to be done at that site to know it would be at least five to eight years away," Mr Woodward said.
