Cancer patients often require lengthy and ongoing specialised treatments, such as radiotherapy, to overcome their illness. This potentially life-saving treatment is available only at major treatment centres (usually Brisbane and Townsville), meaning regional patients must pay for their transport to and accommodation near these centres, or go without treatment.
With one minor exception, the scheme has not been updated in more than 20 years, leaving regional patients severely disadvantaged. The support for cancer patients accessing vital treatment away from their home needs to reflect today's travel and accommodation costs, not the costs of more than two decades ago.
Show you care about regional cancer patients
The Cancer Council Queensland needs your help to improve the support for regional cancer patients. Enter your details below and we will keep you up-to-date on our campaign.
Update - five cent increase a 'token gesture'
The state government has announced it will increase patients' travel allowance by five cents a kilometre.
This would bring the travel subsidy up to January 1995 levels, and would not even cover recent fuel price increases.
The Cancer Council Queensland believes the five cent increase is a token gesture, which does not address the very real need of patients who must find thousands of dollars for accommodation during treatment.
Queensland's cancer patients deserve a Fair Go.
To read our media release on this announcement, please click here.
Or view the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme information sheet. (PDF, 470Kb)
Contact your local MP
If you would like to take the issue of the PTSS and a Fair Go for regional Queenslanders further, you may wish to talk to your local parliamentarian, or write to the Health Minister. You may also suggest to your Mayor that they do the same; let them know you believe regional cancer patients deserve a Fair Go.
Click here to view a list and contact details for your local MP.
