New appointments bolster Southern cancer services

The Southern district’s non-surgical cancer services have continued to improve its specialist capacity over the last year with the appointment of two new radiation oncologists and a medical oncologist.

Further new specialists are on the horizon with an international radiation oncologist relocating from South Africa in the next few weeks and another two radiation oncologists due to join the team at Dunedin Hospital next year. 

Health NZ Southern Acting Group Director of Operations Craig Ashton says the recent additions will continue to improve the delivery of cancer services for the Southern population.

Ashton says work is also under way with Te Aho o Te Kahu | The Cancer Control Agency to implement the government’s increased access to cancer medicines.

The first new medicines were released on October 1, with further new treatments to be available from today. Cancer services across the motu are currently actively recruiting additional staff to support this change.

In further good news for the district, local oncologist Professor Chris Jackson has been selected as a board director for the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). He becomes the first New Zealand-based clinician to be nominated or selected for the UICC.

Professor Jackson has also been appointed as the co-lead for cancer on Health New Zealand’s National Clinical Network. 

“It’s a huge honour to have been elected to the board of directors of the UICC, which will help us connect better with cancer leaders worldwide, learn from other countries, and share some of the things that we do well,” Professor Jackson says.

“The newly formed National Clinical Network is a fantastic opportunity to help improve the quality of cancer care, and work towards our goal of better, faster cancer care, closer to home.

“The disestablishment of district health boards has presented us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get rid of the postcode lottery of cancer care. I can’t wait to get stuck in.”