Health minister pledges change over breast reconstruction wait after cancer
A Queensland breast cancer survivor is hoping for change after meeting with the health minister over surgery delays.
Mother-of-three Sharyn Washington went public about her 20-month wait for a consultation and a lack of communication from Queensland Health.
The woman from Mareeba near Cairns had been told to expect her initial consultation for breast reconstruction within a year.
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Sharyn Washington from Far North Queensland wants to move on from her cancer journey. Nine
It has now been 616 days since she had a mastectomy.
She's still waiting for that appointment and doesn't know where she stands in the backlog.
On Tuesday, she was given the chance to meet Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman at Cairns Hospital.
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Washington now has a hospital appointment on Thursday. 9News
Fentiman pledged to improve communication and reduce waiting times.
"She was quite upset that I hadn't heard anything from Queensland Health," Washington said.
"It causes myself a lot of anxiety in that my treatment isn't finished.
"I am hoping that these proposals will help with awareness but that backlog is huge so it's not going to happen overnight."
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Fentiman wants to make better use of regional facilities to take the pressure off bigger hospitals and create nurse positions solely for liaising with patients on the surgical waitlist.
"I understand how important that surgery is to survivors of breast cancer to move on in their recovery," Fentiman said.
"I'm absolutely committed to reducing those wait times and improving that communication."
Washington now has a hospital appointment on Thursday.
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