Cancer patients in limbo after South Australian hospital's oncology unit shuts down
The oncology unit at South Australia's Western Hospital will permanently shut down, leaving dozens of cancer patients scrambling for alternative care.
Margaret Axon, a 73-year-old breast cancer survivor who relies on regular check-ups at the facility, is one of those patients.
"I go for regular check-ups, so I don't know where we go from here," she said.
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The oncology unit at South Australia's Western Hospital will permanently shut down, leaving dozens of cancer patients scrambling for alternative care. Nine
"It's just very sad for the community."
The closure will come into effect on October 31, and 12 staff have been told they've lost their jobs.
It's part of a re-structure of the Western Hospital at Henley Beach, after it went into voluntary administration in January.
It was decided the oncology unit would be sold, only for that sale to fall through.
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It was decided the oncology unit would be sold, only for that sale to fall through. Nine
The administrator says it's working with oncology providers to ensure that patients can access care, albeit in a new setting.
There is some positive news for the broader Western Hospital. 9News understands a buyer is expected to be announced next week.
However, concerns persist among patients about the potential impact on other services.
"Level 2 is specialist, but they were already saying some of the rooms from such and such are closing, so there's lots of changes, it sounds like," Axon said.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
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