Medical Officer

Most routine treatment of childhood cancer is administered on an outpatient basis (no overnight stay). This means Westmead’s young patients can return home and get back to school soon after treatment is started. It also means that children spend less time in hospital and this helps improve the morale of both patient and family.

Treatment however,  often requires two to three visits to the department each week for tests and injections of planned treatment. This makes the Oncology Treatment Centre one of the busiest areas in the entire hospital as between 20-30 patients arrive at the Oncology Treatment Centre each weekday for routine treatment.

The oncology unit uses donated funds to employ additional medical practitioners to work in the Oncology Treatment Centre. They provide essential hands-on care to children requiring treatment (for example venipunctures, lumbar punctures, chemotherapy injections). They also assess the patients to ensure they are well enough to receive the next planned part of treatment. They make a significant contribution to reducing unpleasant waiting times and helping our patients get on their way home quickly again. They also become very well known and trusted by the patients and their families and form an invaluable component of our support program. 

In 2004 Kids with Cancer Foundation Australia gave $73,504 for this position at Westmead.

We urge you to consider the children in a hospital near you.  Please donate, post cheques to: Kids with Cancer Foundation, PO Box 135 Westmead NSW 2145 or for credit cards: free-call any donations to 1800 255522, and we guarantee that 100% of these donations will be passed to families, or use this Donate now button or at the top of the page.