Jack the Rat Shanks PATS

Apologies for yesterday's disjointed post - Interweb problems - keeps cutting out and not saving properly.

As per usual this about the idiots and crooks who make the decisions, not the long suffering service providers.

For me the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) goes in the 'Better Than Nothing' file in that given the gross under-funding, servicing, staffing, etc, of country hospitals that forces people to travel (usually to Adelaide) it is only just better than nothing to refund those patients only part of the cost of that travel.

PATS 're-imburses' country patients who have to travel for medical treatment, but charges patients to even process those forms, doesn't refund taxi fares, etc, and pays a 'fuel refund' that was already below parity the last time it was 'adjusted' over a decade ago. It makes no allowance for wear and tear on private vehicles.

PATS also makes no recompense for the time, income, etc, lost because people who have to travel to Adelaide need to allow at least a full day for even a basic appointment, and usually organise accomodation, etc; even the few 'free Cancer Accomodations' do get over-booked..

The last modification the Labor state government did to PATS was to remove the one relatively simple application form and replace it with 3 forms. There's nothing like creating 3 times as much paperwork in Adelaide to help improve medical services in regional hospitals. (and yes, that is sarcasm)

Me as an example; Following my initial diagnosis with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (August 2004-previous post) I spent 5 weeks in Adelaide, then had to travel 2-3 days at a time for Chemotherapy and during my Radiotherapy treatment (March-April 2005) had to be in Adelaide daily for a 10 minute treatment.

When I flew home to Mt Gambier for Easter 2005, and then back to Adelaide to complete treatment, someone didn't sign the form correctly so PATS flatly refused to pay that airfare, saying that 'I was well enough to catch the bus' which of course I didn't have a receipt for. I lost over $300.

I was right in the middle of a month of Radiotherapy treatment, obviously fully documented, and PATS ripped me off $300 because some clown didn't sign the very simple form in the right place; and there was no 'appeal process' so bad luck.

I say 'I' but it was my family who payed for these transport costs and drove me around Adelaide and housed, fed, and did everything but bathed me. In August 2004 I fell out of the plane in a tumour-addled haze and was looked after by my family, an absolute luxury compared to what others endure.

Now Labor has announced a 'Review of PATS' and Jack the Rat has already stated that this means a 'review of criteria' and absolutely ruled out any more funding, so it will remain at a level that was grossly inadequate 10 years ago.

The Health Budget in this state is headed for an irresistible Black Hole the Labor Party calls the New Royal Adelaide Hospital; everything in SA must and will be sacrificed to meet that Contracted Profit Margin. (previous post)

I am exactly aware of what regional South Australians endure just to access services that a Labor government have denied them, for ever, with self-focussed incompetence and corruption.

I fully appreciate the importance of the new Leukemia Foundation (? I think) development of new units for families of and/or Blood Cancer patients (eg NH Lymphoma) having to attend Adelaide for treatment. All concerned are to be congratulated, and their efforts, attitude, and achievement give me cause to be a fraction less cynical about the world. Thankyou...really...I needed it....

Contrast this with the behaviour of that sorry piece of humanity Jack Snelling.

Country patients continue to suffer through sub-standard health service provision, and in 2013 (yes I went there) are still markedly more likely to die than an Adelaide resident with the same malady...and that is a well documented fact that regularly blows through the media.

I don't have a resolution...the damage is done...literally the only thing that Regional SA can hope to do is seperate itself legal and financially from Adelaide, which, yes, is Succesion.

Tomorrow: World Fertilizer Shortage Averted: Mt Gambier City Council Full Of It

More lies, more corruption, more inanity bordering on insanity (and thankyou, yes, I am talking about Council, not myself)