A new Transport to Treatment service (TRIPS) offers free transport to help cancer patients get to and from treatment and is now able to be operated from local Cancer Council offices.
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Cancer Council NSW partnered with Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation to trial of TRIPS, during April and May on the Mid North Coast.
TRIPS is an integrated, online booking system which will increase the reach, efficiency and effectiveness of the Transport to Treatment program, and create a strong foundation for the expansion of additional services in the future.
Funded by a $154,000 grant from Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation, the system means more patients in regional and rural NSW can access free, direct transport assistance to help reduce the burden of cancer.
Following the trial local Cancer Council staff and volunteer drivers said the new booking tool reduced administration time, made referrals from oncology staff easier and improved communication with clients waiting to be picked up.
Annie Miller, Director of Cancer Council's Cancer Information and Support Services Division is excited about the potential for growth presented by this new technology.
"Last financial year alone we travelled just under one million kilometres to help 2,361 cancer patients and carers get to treatment centres and hospitals across NSW," Ms Miller said.
"As we start to integrate the TRIPS platform, thanks to the generosity of Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation, these already impressive numbers will only keep going up.
"It's heart-breaking to think of the hundreds of people across the state suffering without any access to treatment.
"... which is why I'm so happy we'll have more capacity to service additional people in need across the states most isolated regions, when the booking tool is officially launched and rolled out state-wide later this year."
