14 August 2014
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) commends the Federal Government for taking steps to secure 14 new placements for prostate cancer specialist nurses across Australia.
Federal Minister for Health Peter Dutton today announced the names and locations of the health service providers that will host the second wave of specialist nurses in 2014 as part of PCFA's Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Program. This announcement was made at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre in Geelong, Victoria which is one of the new host sites. The new placements have been made possible by the allocation of $7 million from last year's Federal Budget.
PCFA is proud to announce that Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses will now be hosted at the following sites:
- St John of God Hospital, Bunbury WA
- Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide, SA
- Ballarat Health Services, VIC
- Geelong Hospital, Barwon Health, VIC
- Western Health Service, Footscray VIC
- Mildura Base Hospital, VIC
- The Bays Hospital, Mornington VIC
- Macquarie University Hospital, Sydney, NSW
- St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW
- Port Macquarie Base Hospital, NSW
- Orange Hospital, NSW
- Cairns Hospital, QLD
- Rockhampton Hospital, QLD
- Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
The latest extension to the revolutionary program will allow more men affected by prostate cancer to access specialised services.
The nurses have all met as a team for their initial training in their roles and now are working within their centres to help men and their families who are affected by a prostate cancer diagnosis.
The newest nursing recruits will join the 12 existing nurses who are currently working in hospitals across Australia. By the end of August 2014, there will be 26 Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses working in major metropolitan and regional hospitals in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Associate Professor Anthony Lowe, Chief Executive Officer of PCFA, says more families will benefit from the free services thanks to this additional financial support. "Today's announcement about the latest nurses inducted into our program will change the lives of many Australians who are dealing with a prostate cancer diagnosis. These Specialist Nurses form a critical aspect of ongoing prostate cancer care that helps families navigate around difficult areas such as treatment and ongoing hospital visits," said Associate Professor Lowe.
"We are thrilled that more men will now be able to access this service. PCFA would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Federal Government and the new nursing hosts for recognising the importance of this program and securing its future over the next few years."
PCFA's Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Program was first launched in 2012 and has made significant progress to expand its reach to metropolitan and regional areas across Australia. The Movember Foundation has played a fundamental role in establishing the foundations of the national program by contributing $3.6 million for the recruit of the first nurses.
