NSW Governor David Hurley has officially opened the privately operated Southside Cancer Care Centre at Miranda.
The centre has been operating in the five-storey CCA Specialist Medical Centre on Kingsway since 2014, but complementary services, including pathology and pharmacy, have since been added.
Federal Treasurer and Cook MP Scott Morrison and Sutherland Shire mayor Carmelo Pesce joined leading cancer specialists at the event on Tuesday night.
A notable absentee was Dr Kiran Phadke, who resumed work as an oncologist at St George and Sutherland Hospitals in May this year after a year-long suspension.
Dr Phadke was among doctors who established Southside Cancer Care Centre, but sold his shareholding to pay legal costs.
He believed opening the centre was at the root of complaints made against him, because it created resentment within the medical profession.
Senior surgeon Kevin Hanel told a parliamentary inquiry the private outpatient oncology service “created competition which may adversely affect numbers treated at Sutherland Hospital”.
Southside Cancer Care Centre (SCCC) is one of a group of centres operated by Cancer Care Associates (CCA).
Chairman Tony Noun said Cancer Institute NSW figures showed Sutherland Shire had the second-highest cancer incidence rate of all cancers across the Sydney basin.
Another study had found shire residents recorded a 36 per cent higher incidence than the average of prostate cancer; 47 per cent higher rate of melanoma in males and 25 per cent in females; and 22 per cent higher lymphoma in males.
Mr Noun said it was “inevitable, given the relatively small size of Sutherland Shire, each one of us will be touched by cancer, either personally, or through family or neighbours”.
”With an estimated 1500 residents expected to be diagnosed with a new cancer in 2018, Southside Cancer Care Centre anticipates managing at least 5000 medical oncology and haematology treatments in that year,” he said.
Mr Noun said, prior to the centre opening, patients had limited options of travelling further afield or attending Sutherland Hospital for oncology treatment.
Southside Cancer Care Centre clinical services director Paul Downe said the centre had “gradually treated more and more patients” and complementary services had been added over the last three years.
”The grand opening has been a long time coming, and it’s more an opportunity to showcase the centre and let the community know what we can offer them here,” he said.
Dr Downe said the advantages of the centre were its convenience for patients, continuity of staff and short waiting times.
“A lot of things, such as radiology and pathology are available in the one building,” he said.
”When patients are on treatment, it’s a difficult time, but when they come in they meet the same reception staff and the same nurses, and they build a rapport.
“If you have a treatment chair, you have a car space downstairs.
“Patients have full care – they can call up and talk to our nursing staff, rather than going through a big switchboard.”
