Patients are facing delays to their medical care or missing out on diagnosis altogether because there is no MRI machine in the Blue Mountains, local Labor politicians have claimed.
Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, and State Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle, have joined with Blue Mountains doctors and nurses to call on the federal and state governments to provide affordable medical imaging services to be a priority for Blue Mountains residents.
But NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he has already lobbied the federal government this year to increase MRI services.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt wouldn’t commit to improving MRI services in the Blue Mountains but said the government had announced an additional $2 billion for diagnostic imaging over the next decade in the last budget.
MRI services are used to detect and diagnose conditions that affect soft tissue, including tumours and cancer – and are critical in the early detection of many diseases such as dementia.
Susan Templeman said the lack of access to affordable MRI services was of particular concern for children and people over the age of 65.
“Local doctors have raised concerns about the delays their patients face in getting treatment because they have to go to Nepean Hospital and face long waiting lists to have an MRI,” she said.
“The Nepean machines are so fully booked that I’m regularly told people are getting appointments as early as 5am or as late as 10pm on a Friday night.
“A bipartisan Senate inquiry earlier this year recognised that western Sydney has a shortage of access to subsidised MRI scans,” she said.
Mr Hunt said the government would shortly respond in full to the inquiry’s recommendations.
Ms Templeman said a Medicare subsidised MRI in Katoomba “would not only be of huge benefit to residents in the Blue Mountains, it would help take the pressure off the scarce resources available in western Sydney”.
Ms Doyle said the need for an MRI in Katoomba was clear, but the state government would also need to come to the party by ensuring there were enough staff and supports to provide a proper service.
“Katoomba Hospital is already under the pump – as is Nepean – with Liberal Government staffing cuts,” she said.
“Sadly this government has an ideological fixation with cutting services. And when you cut services, that impacts not only the health of workers but also the quality and level of care provided to patients by overworked, tired staff.
“We absolutely need an affordable MRI service in the Blue Mountains, but we need the Berejiklian Government to provide adequate staffing levels to support it,” she said.
Katoomba cardiologist, Dr John England, said he is seeing patients missing out.
“Often a CT scan has to be validated by an MRI before treatment can begin,” he said. “MRIs are a great tool for problem solving – whether it’s a complex brain issue, the early stages of dementia, a spine issue or as a safer way to investigate problems in pregnancy and in children.
“Doctors and patients need access to a local MRI service so treatment isn’t delayed.”
A spokesman for the NSW Health Minister said Mr Hazzard had written twice to his federal counterpart seeking increased MRI Medicare eligibility for more public health facilities across the state, most recently in February this year.
“The minister has also written to the Commonwealth Treasurer in March 2018.”
Mr Hunt said the federal government was retaining the bulk billing incentive and indexing targeted diagnostic imaging services including mammography, fluoroscopy, CT scans and interventional procedures.
“By contrast, Labor has only committed $80 million and not made any commitment to the re-indexation of diagnostic imaging rebates.
“Only last month we boosted Medicare support for a new MRI scan for prostate cancer checks helping 26,000 men each year, as well as a new Medicare listing for 3D breast cancer checks, helping around 240,000 women each year.”
