Australia: Public hospital cancer scanners unused

Thousands of patients are being forced to wait for potentially life-saving scans while the equipment to diagnose them sits idle in Queensland public hospitals. More than $6 million worth of state-of-the-art cancer-detecting equipment at the Princess Alexandra Hospital has not been used since being installed almost five months ago. Queensland Health's failure to attract and maintain radiography staff is being blamed for the equipment at the PA and other hospitals being under-utilised. Meanwhile, thousands of potential cancer patients and stroke victims await access to CT scanners, MRI machines and angiographic suites to detect internal bleeding, clotting and other traumas.

A Medical Radiation Professionals Group spokesman yesterday said radiographers were warning of the looming crisis because poor working conditions meant the problems were worsening. "The Health Minister has done absolutely nothing but repeatedly trotted out the industrial relations process," he said. "Tell that to patients in pain, patients suffering cancer and patients who need help today and cannot wait until tomorrow." According to the MRPG, more than 1000 patients were waiting for up to two months for diagnostic scans at the PA while the equipment goes unused.

The Royal Brisbane Hospital is suffering similar problems with the angiographic suite and gastro-internal treatment facilities on reduced working hours because of the shortage of radiographers. About 800 patients of the Gold Coast Hospital are expected to wait 10 weeks for diagnostics scans, double the wait time of 12 months ago.

The MRPG spokesman said the Gold Coast Hospital's much-touted cardiac catheter lab may have to end its 24-hour service but Health Minister Stephen Robertson flatly rejected that. "The 24-hour service is not being reduced, nor is there any planned reduction or shortage of radiographers on the Coast," he said. Mr Robertson said the number of radiographers working for Queensland Health had increased by 70 in the 12 months to June. However, he conceded there were problems with staff numbers at the PA and Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. "Over the last four months the PA has seen an unprecedented expansion of new technology capability and they have struggled to recruit at the same rate," he said. "The RBWH is actively trying to recruit new radiographers. In the meantime, RBWH will continue to provide all urgent and emergency services."

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation. Both Australia and Sweden have large private sector health systems with government reimbursement for privately-provided services so can a purely private system with some level of government reimbursement or insurance for the poor be so hard to do?

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