NSW independent MP Helen Dalton called for an urgent increase in the state government’s “grossly unfair” rural patient travel allowance in a parliamentary debate on Wednesday.
“A patient that needs to travel to another city for medical treatment gets just $43 if they’re travelling alone,” Mrs Dalton said in her speech.
“When was the last time you saw a hotel room anywhere in Australia that cost $43?”
“That is a ridiculously low rate. This rate has not been changed in 10 years.”
“By contrast, politicians who travel to Sydney for work get a daily allowance of $310.”
Mrs Dalton was speaking on a debate initiated by Wagga MP Joe McGirr, which called for an overhaul of the NSW government’s isolated patients travel and accommodation assistance scheme (IPTAAS).
IPTAAS is the system the NSW government uses to financially compensate rural people who have to travel to other cities for medical treatment.
“Country people shouldn’t have to drive for three hours when they’ve broken a bone, nine months pregnant, suicidal or dying of cancer,” Mrs Dalton said.
“But after stripping services across rural hospitals, the least this government could do is provide sufficient, accessible financial support for those who now must travel to bigger cities for basic health care.
“But no, you actually put people through hell to travel and access the inadequate scraps you dish out.”
Mrs Dalton said rural patients have to fill out seven pages of forms and answer the same questions over and over again to access the payment.
The debate called on the NSW government to increase the travel allowance payments and make the process for applying much easier.
Can Assist, a charity that provides support to rural cancer patients who have to travel for treatment, has been lobbying the NSW government for these changes.
