Armidale is set to benefit from expanded cancer treatment services under a $63.4 million boost by the Federal Government to radiation treatment for rural and regional areas. Member for New England Barnaby Joyce said having high-quality, comprehensive radiation oncology services available on our doorstep was a crucial investment for New England residents.
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Also people from Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Inverell ...
- Barnaby Joyce
"It's important that people from the city of Armidale have the capacity to get this treatment here if they need it," Mr Joyce said.
"Also people from Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Inverell, and remembering, these people are probably crook, and they now have the capacity to knock an hour and a half off their trip.
"As soon as I became aware of this funding, I went in to bat at the Minister's office to make sure Armidale received one of the 30 places they were going to provide these services to. I'm happy that that is now concluded and we have been successful."
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Mr Joyce said it was all about building up the medical precinct of Armidale, in the same way it was being done in Tamworth, and said he thought in many instances services were complementary.
"But I don't believe we should be removing our access to public health by reason of private health," he said.
"Private health plays an incredibly important component, and certainly bolsters up our capacity to bolster up a service, but the government has a very strategic and major role to make sure medical services are available for everybody.
"This funding is in addition to the $606 million for diagnostic imaging and the $1.4 billion invested in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in the past year for breast, lung and skin cancers."
