'Life-changing' virtual chemotherapy helps rural cancer patients

Tele-oncology involves video conferencing between practitioners in rural and metropolitan hospitals. (ABC Southern Qld: Grace Nakamura) The Gatton, Laidley and Esk hospitals have tele-oncology units that link to Ipswich Hospital. A Queensland Health spokesperson says that, between May 2025 and April 2026, there were almost 15,000 tele-oncology appointments across 23 health facilities. Clinical Oncology Society of Australia president Sabe Sabesan says tele-oncology needs to be a system-wide approach. Link copiedShareShare articleDonna Gorman has been through chemotherapy, radiation and a double mastectomy but says it was the day-long trips to hospital that were most taxing. "It was a big drain on myself and my family and friends to have to do that every day," Ms Gorman said. The 55-year-old had memorised every stop sign and pothole of the drive from her regional hometown of Gatton to the nearest major hospital at Ipswich. Donna Gorman says the tele-oncology service at Gatton Hospital has been life-changing. (ABC Southern Qld: Grace Nakamura) It was about an hour's drive but by the time she drove there, found a park, underwent treatment, and drove home, Ms Gorman said it was a full day's journey. "When you add that to not feeling well, not having any energy, having to go through treatments … it was a huge drain on my body," she said. That was three years ago, and things are now different for cancer patients like Ms Gorman on Brisbane's regional outskirts. Tele-oncology appointments are held in the infusion clinic at Gatton Hospital. (ABC Southern Qld: Grace Nakamura) Tele-oncology units, introduced to hospitals in the West Moreton district, have allowed cancer patients to undergo treatment at their local hospitals. Ms Gorman said the Gatton unit, which opened in March 2025, had been life-changing. "Not having to spend that time travelling, you could spend that time focusing more on your recovery," she said. The Australian system of tele-oncology was developed in north Queensland out of a dire need to reach patients in rural and remote areas. Professor Sabe Sabesan, a senior medical oncologist at the Townsville Cancer Centre, is often regarded as the pioneer of the technology. Sabe Sabesan is often regarded as a pioneer of tele-oncology. (Supplied: Townsville Hospital and Health Service) He came across video conferencing technology after arriving in Townsville in 2006. "We just played with it and started it as a practice in Mount Isa in partnership with the nurses and doctors there," he said. Professor Sabesan saw how the tyranny of distances directly correlated to poorer outcomes for cancer patients. "There were patients who didn't want to fly so they literally missed out on treatment," he said. Professor Sabesan said what began as video consultation calls between oncologists and cancer patients had since evolved to include the actual administering of the chemo and immunotherapy drugs in the rural centre, under virtual supervision from a larger hospital. Gatton Hospital began offering tele-oncology services in March 2025. (ABC Southern Qld: Grace Nakamura) He said tele-oncology needed to be formalised as a system, rather than a series of isolated projects. "If champions and advocates have to keep advocating, that means we don't have a system in place," Professor Sabesan said. "If we had a system, we would have had tele-chemo in Gatton five years ago." Clinical nurse Chelsey Reynolds runs the tele-oncology unit at the Gatton Hospital. She said the process was streamlined but there were "a lot of moving parts". "The patient sits in the chair and we bring in a TV that links into the oncologist at Ipswich," Ms Reynolds said. Chelsey Reynolds is a clinical nurse at Gatton Hospital. (ABC Southern Qld: Grace Nakamura) "The oncologist reviews their bloods and asks them all the questions … then approves the treatment. "The pharmacist in Ipswich checks [the medication], gives it to the team leader there, who will email it to me and I will print it off, and then [the pharmacist] dials in on her side to the same TV. "She sits down at Ipswich, I sit here, and we still do our double checks." After the lengthy "chain of requests and checks", Ms Reynolds administers the medication. She has 13 patients around Gatton and the Lockyer Valley. "Normally [the patients] are in and out within an hour, two hours, instead of it having to be an all-day thing," she said. A Queensland Health spokesperson said between May 2025 and April 2026, there had been almost 15,000 tele-oncology consultations across 23 facilities. Gatton Hospital is a rural hospital that is part of West Moreton Health. (ABC Southern Qld: Grace Nakamura) "While not every oncology appointment is clinically appropriate for virtual care, this service is available to patients of every hospital and health service," the spokesperson said. They said Queensland Health was working with the services to look at new opportunities to improv

'Life-changing' virtual chemotherapy helps rural cancer patients

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'Life-changing' virtual chemotherapy helps rural cancer patients

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