THE rate of prostate cancer diagnoses among men in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) is 36 per cent higher than the state average - so why has Wagga Base Hospital missed out on a prostate care nurse?
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The decision on which hospitals received the federally funded nurses this year is understood to have been made on the prevalence and incidence of the illness in the areas they service.
Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has held discussions with health minister Peter Dutton in the past fortnight about the snub, but remains largely in the dark about why MLHD's application for a nurse was unsuccessful.
"I've sought an explanation, but more importantly, some sort of commitment to try and get something for the future," he said.
If the decision was based on which areas have the highest incidence of prostate cancer, which Mr McCormack said was his understanding, the MLHD submission to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) should have presented a compelling case.
Across the health district, 124.7 men out of every 100,000 are diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared with the statewide rate of 91.6.
More than 1200 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the region between 2009 and 2013 according to data supplied to the MLHD by the two surgeons who perform the majority of prostate surgery in the health district.
"I've pointed out to the minister that the Riverina's statistics stack up to warrant getting support," Mr McCormack said.
"If it is in fact prevalence and incidence, then on what rationale was that used?"
Mr McCormack will meet again with Mr Dutton when parliament reconvenes in a week to further discuss the issue and to see if a solution can be found for Wagga Base Hospital.
The list of hospitals that were successful in applying for a prostate nurse has yet to be publicly released.
A spokeswoman for the PCFA said the foundation was currently unable to provide details of which hospitals were granted a nurse in this year's application round, with an announcement to be made at a future date by Mr Dutton.
Last year, 12 hospitals received nurses, including sites at Canberra, Bendigo, Townsville and Tamworth.