The Southland District Health Board will today be asked to support the proposed pilot scheme which would give some public-hospital cancer patients the option of paying for extra drugs.
This follows the decision of the board's hospital advisory committee yesterday to support the pilot proposal.
The new hospital advisory committee chairman, Tim Ward, said the committee had a good discussion of the issue, with members recognising both the benefits of what was proposed and understanding the reservations about it.
Dunedin oncologist Dr Chris Jackson joined the meeting by telephone conference to answer questions about the proposal.
Mr Ward said if the pilot went ahead, it was expected the service would be available at Southland Hospital as well as Dunedin.
Dr Jackson has said the pilot is potentially of most benefit to Southlanders who, if they wish to receive unfunded cancer drugs, have to travel outside the province, as there is no private oncology service there.
The Otago board decided last week the proposal for a year-long pilot scheme should go to Health Minister Tony Ryall for approval.
Since the Southern Blood and Cancer Service which would run the pilot covers Southland and Otago, the proposal will not proceed to the minister's office until the outcome of today's meeting is known.
