Sutherland Hospital MRI Facilities
PRESS RELEASE: Simon Kennedy MP
2 September 2024
Simon Kennedy Federal Member for Cook secures outpatient access to Sutherland Hospital’s MRI facilities from 2027
Simon Kennedy has secured a government agreement to change the licensing arrangements for the new MRI facilities at Sutherland Hospital to allow full outpatient access from 2027.
During the by-election campaign, access to Sutherland Hospital’s MRI facilities was a significant issue, and since being elected Simon has lobbied the government continuously to allow outpatient access in Sutherland, and increase access to MRI scanning for all Australians more generally.
Restrictions on Sutherland Hospital’s new facilities has left the new facilities with unused capacity, while local residents are referred to other hospitals in Sydney or forced to pay up to $800 to go private.
Earlier this year Simon wrote to Health Minister Mark Butler, to raise this issue, and has lobbied him consistently over recent months.
In addition to Sutherland Hospital’s updated license, $69.8M has been committed in the budget to increase the number of Medicare eligible MRI machines across the country from 2027, ensuring broader access to essential diagnostic services.
Background
The opening of Sutherland Hospital’s new MRI service in February 2023 was a significant milestone for the Sutherland Shire community - it offered the promise of quick diagnoses based on imaging at a convenient location.
However, despite the state of the art technology now available onsite, which represents a significant investment by taxpayers, it is unfortunately not used at full capacity due to the lack of a comprehensive MRI license meaning it remains unavailable to some outpatients under the MBS.
The absence of a full license has resulted in several challenges for both patients and healthcare providers:
Between June 23 and May 24, 114 outpatients were referred to St George and Prince of Wales hospitals, well away from the local area
These patients face a 7-14 week wait at alternative hospitals, restricting access to a crucial diagnostic tool for patients with potential diseases and injuries that require time-sensitive attention. This includes patients with cancer.
Referrals create unacceptable levels of demand for other facilities in South Sydney.
It is forcing some patients to privately pay for scans at a cost of up to $800 per visit, which during a cost of living crisis is a cost they can ill afford.