Craig Underhill

More than ever our cancer services need us! With recently announced proposed changes to the running of the cancer centre, services will rely more on state government funding. It will lose rental income from some of the private tenants, some medicare subsidies and income from health insurers. The numbers of people developing cancer continues to rise as the community ages and will not peak for several decades. Hospital leaders come and go but the need to support people we all know in our community, will not go away. 

The cancer centre has been a commendable partnership between public, private and you the community. We advocated, we marched in the streets, we knocked on doors of government. It has set out what it aimed to achieve: lifting cancer survival rates in our region to match metropolitan survival rates , delivering  outstanding research programs that have brought new treatments to our patients and having national and global impact.  Thanks to funding from the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund they have bought new equipment and established a fund for training and education of staff and support programs for patients.  Everyone in regional areas deserves the very best treatment and care, just like those in major cities. These are programs not normally funded by health insurance or state governments. 

These programs are critical and will now be needed to continue to  support patients wherever they receive treatment in the cancer centre or a new private cancer centre. 

The Trust is fiercely independent and will ensure every dollar is spent wisely and ensure accountability.

Cancer affects us all, and many of us know someone who has been impacted. 

My family and I be walking to honour my Dad Jim  who died of bowel cancer 20 years ago and my mother in law Dotty  who died of breast cancer 21 years ago.  Both received some parts of their treatment in Albury Wodonga. I will be walking in honour of the many hundreds of patients and families that I have helped look after over the years, and continue to help through research efforts. I will be walking of the the many friends and colleagues I have looked after as well.

Let’s come together to support these essential local services that governments and insurers can't provide. Please chip in what you can.