LINAC spend cuts New Zealand's radiotherapy waits - more to come:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
New Zealand has reported a drop in post-operative radiology waiting times from 18 weeks to 12, thanks in large measure to its investment in linear accelerators, but the government acknowledges that more needs to be done. "New LINACs are being provided on a rolling programme," said the minister of health, Annette King, adding that: "New Zealand's cancer infrastructure remains fragile because of the time it takes to train staff." The success of the programme is being attributed mainly to the NZ$40m investment of the first phase of the Cancer Control Strategy Action Plan (see Clinica No 1156, p 14). A measure of its success is that patients are not having to be sent to Australia for radiotherapy.