Thanks to a $71,577.30 grant from the McCusker Charitable Foundation, we have purchased a new bus that will help regional West Australians who are staying in our accommodation facilities get to their vital cancer treatment.
About the Transport to Treatment service
Approximately one third of people diagnosed with cancer live outside the major population centres where most of the cancer treatment is available. Many people must travel to Perth to access treatments like radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy at major hospitals.
Unfortunately, coming to Perth to access treatment can be difficult and expensive for many rural patients. Cancer treatment can take a long time, requiring regular appointments and travelling back and forth between centres. This means transportation, including fuel and parking, can become significant financial and logistical burdens.
Regional cancer patients needing to access these treatment centres may delay or even forego care due to difficulty covering the costs and pressures of driving and parking.
Our Transport to Treatment service operates from our Crawford and Milroy Lodges and provides free transport to help country cancer patients staying in our accommodation facilities get to their treatment.
On average, our bus runs 45,000km every year, providing 6200 transfers for around 500 patients and 220 carers, supported by 13 generous volunteer drivers.
An upgrade to the bus
Our bus has been in service for a long time and is nearing retirement. To keep our Transport to Treatment service running and prevent any disruptions to service, the McCusker Charitable Foundation has generously helped us to purchase a new bus.
This new bus will directly support around 770 people per year from regional areas of Western Australia who have been affected by cancer.
