New private cancer clinic to open in Nelson

A new private cancer clinic in Nelson, opening in April, will support more than 300 patients a year.

St George’s Cancer Care has announced it will open its first regional clinic outside of Christchurch, on Bail St in Stoke, involving a $1.2 million investment covering fit-out, equipment and staffing.

Recruitment for nursing and clinical support roles had already begun.

The private clinic would provide medical oncology and haematology services, allowing patients to receive chemotherapy, immunotherapy, blood disorder care and specialist consultations in their own community.

The clinic would initially operate three days a week, and was expected to support about 300 patients a year.

St George’s Cancer Care Centre chairman Blair Roxborough said it was an exciting step.

They had many patients who travelled to Christchurch fro Nelson, so expanding into the region was a good fit, he said.

“Those patients currently on treatment will be able to enjoy, you know, going local without that travel down to Christchurch for the treatment.”

The Stoke location was a good fit, with other medical services such as Awanui Labs in the building, he said.

He expected the service to grow slowly, but said it could increase to five days a week if there was demand.

The clinic would operate alongside the public system, helping to offer treatments that may not be available to patients otherwise, he said.

“We see it as working in parallel and complementary to the public system.”

The clinic would be led by Nelson-based medical oncologists Dr Kate Gregory and Dr Anna Wojtacha. They would also continue to work in the public system.

Wojtacha said reducing travel times would be one of the biggest benefits, she said.

“Travelling to Christchurch for chemotherapy or immunotherapy can be incredibly hard, particularly when patients are nauseated or fatigued.

“These treatments can be safely delivered in Nelson and providing them locally will significantly reduce the burden on patients and their whānau.”

Gregory said the clinic would complement the public health sector.

“Patients may continue to receive publicly funded treatment while accessing private consultations or unfunded medicines where appropriate. That additional flexibility will benefit patients and the wider system.”

Radiation oncology consultations would be available, but radiation treatment would continue to be delivered in Christchurch where specialist equipment was required.

The clinic would have purpose-designed treatment spaces with state-of-the-art chemotherapy chairs and scalp cooling technology to help reduce hair loss.

Patients would also have access to care services, such as counselling, psychology, nutrition and physiotherapy, funded by the St George’s Cancer Institute charitable trust.

Gregory said those services were particularly important for patients.

“Cancer care is about much more than medication alone. It’s something patients consistently tell us makes a real difference.”

Referrals would come primarily from specialists and surgeons, with GP referrals accepted where appropriate. Patients could access the service through private insurance, self-funding, ACC, or referral from public care pathways.

The new clinic had been welcomed by Nelson mayor Nick Smith, who said it would help save long journeys during a stressful time.

“It will also open the door for local patients to novel new treatments that are being developed but yet to be funded by our public health service. It will also help Nelson retain and attract skilled doctors, many of whom like a mix of public and private work.”

By Katie Townshend, Nelson Mail