New Zealand Doctors Leave as Cancer Treatment Options Lag

A prominent New Zealand haematologist has raised alarm over the exodus of highly trained doctors and patients seeking better cancer treatment options abroad. Professor Judith Trotman, chair of the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group, stated that New Zealand is lagging at least a decade behind in blood cancer treatments, prompting patients to relocate to countries like Australia for access to life-saving medications.

Professor Trotman, who has treated patients who relocated to Australia for funded treatments, highlighted the case of Jo Neep. Neep moved across the Tasman Sea to receive the antibody medication daratumumab, which remains unfunded in New Zealand. This drug is available in over 45 countries and has been on Pharmac’s “options for investment” list for years, yet it has not received funding. “Australia started funding daratumumab over four years ago,” Trotman noted, adding, “I know this because I’ve had so many patients now up to their 50th monthly dose.”

Despite extensive media coverage and community advocacy for improved blood cancer care in New Zealand, Trotman expressed frustration that there is still no funding for daratumumab. She also pointed out that the lack of treatment options is not only pushing patients to seek care overseas but is also driving many New Zealand doctors to practice abroad.

“The healthcare system faces significant challenges in attracting doctors back to New Zealand,” Trotman stated. “People are just not coming back. It’s in the Kiwi psyche to do your overseas stint.” Conversations with haematologists still practicing in New Zealand reveal a troubling reality, where they often work without access to modern medical tools and treatments. “It’s heartbreaking to hear how they’re practicing bare hands medicine,” Trotman said.

Health Minister Simeon Brown responded to these concerns by emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring all New Zealanders have access to timely and quality healthcare. He referenced a $604 million increase in health funding, which has facilitated the approval of 66 new medicines, including six specifically for blood cancers. However, none of these treatments directly address myeloma, a condition for which daratumumab is critical.

Trotman criticized the government’s efforts, stating, “Some of these [six new medicines] like bendamustine for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, in a modern world of targeted therapies, we shouldn’t need to be giving chemotherapy to patients.” She argued that patients deserve access to the most effective therapies as first and second-line treatments, rather than being limited to outdated options.

The professor asserted that New Zealand’s approach to cancer treatment is outdated, describing it as “no longer fit for purpose.” She added that the piecemeal approach exemplified by the recent funding of six blood cancer medicines fails to optimize treatment sequencing and combinations necessary for a patient-specific approach. “New Zealand is so far behind that this is a crisis,” Trotman concluded.

In response to the ongoing concerns, RNZ reached out to Health Minister Brown’s office for clarification on the issues raised. His office stated that the questions should be directed to Pharmac, the organization responsible for drug funding decisions in New Zealand.

As New Zealand grapples with these challenges, the future of cancer care remains a pressing issue, affecting not only patients seeking treatment but also the healthcare professionals dedicated to providing that care. The urgency for reform in the system has never been more critical.