New Zealanders with blood cancer are reportedly being advised by their doctors to move to Australia, as funding shortfalls hamper access to contemporary therapeutics in the country.
Actor Sam Neil is just the most famous Kiwi to head across the ditch to access treatment for haematological malignancy, with the story of another patient urged to migrate by his clinicians making headlines only last week.
Local media reported Toby Fuller, 25, who has multiple myeloma, has been advised his best option on relapse will be daratumumab, which is available in Australia under the PBS.
However, the monoclonal antibody is not funded by the New Zealand government, meaning Mr Fuller would need to personally cover an expected $200,000 (NZD$220,000) in costs for the first year.
Instead, on the advice of one of his doctors, he is seriously considering a move to Australia or the UK, where he was born but left at age six, reported Kiwi news site Stuff (link here).
“It would be really hard to leave my family and friends [if I were to move overseas]… but I’m keen to live a bit longer,” he told the publication.
It breaks my heart too Jake as NZ slips further behind. The gulf is now a chasm as many dual citizens like #SamNeill are forced to leave home for care. Not only is it depriving NZ patients it is making it harder for NZ clinicians to stay, & for the NZ medical diaspora to return. https://t.co/K6kZpO7o7B
— Judith Trotman (@JudithTrotman1) January 7, 2024
The paucity of funding for modern haematology-oncology drugs in has been described as “beyond fair” by experts, who say there is now an “appalling gulf” between New Zealand and nations such as Australia.
In July 2023, Kiwi haematologist Dr Rodger Tiedemann wrote an open letter to health officials calling for the end to the “unconscionable” delay in funding daratumumab (link here).
“[This issue] has snowballed over the past decade into a substantive failing in this important component of our healthcare system,” he wrote.
“The current state of affairs is undermining haematology-oncology care in New Zealand and is preventing the reasonable pursuit of wellbeing by cancer patients in this country.”