The Cancer Society announced last week its Otago Southland and Canterbury West Coast divisions would merge under the Southern Cancer Society banner, as a direct response to an increasing demand for their services and to maximise resources.
The money raised in the regions would "still stay in the regions" and would continue to provide patients and their families access to transport, accommodation, education, counselling, therapies, support groups and cancer navigators.
The Southern Cancer Society had also committed to increasing its investment in cancer research, which it would be able to do as a result of the merger, Ms Coom said.
Patient Voice Aotearoa chairman Malcolm Mulholland (Ngāti Kahungunu), whose wife died from breast cancer in 2021 and who is a cancer survivor himself, said the merger was good news that aligned with patients’ journeys.
"If we think about a patient who’s diagnosed with cancer in the South, you might be diagnosed in Gore then you might receive surgery in Dunedin, but then you might receive the rest of your treatment in Christchurch.
"The idea that a patient has to engage, say twice — once with Cancer Society Southland and again with Christchurch — to me, seems like a waste of time.
"Why wouldn’t a patient just want to engage the once?"
It was his understanding the merger allowed the Cancer Society to shift money more easily between what was formerly the two entities, and could do so based on need.
He was aware that a cancer navigator had now been employed in Gore as a result of the merger, which had previously been unable to be serviced.
"Whilst the money will remain in the region, I guess the regions that have struggled previously may actually benefit as a result because it’s easier for them to direct that money where the need is greatest."
The need for cancer services in the South was "massive", Mr Mulholland said.
One in every three people at present would have an experience with cancer, and this was set to grow to one in every two by 2030.
While the changes arising from the merger may not be as obvious to someone newly diagnosed who was still dealing with the shock of it, they may be more appreciated by those who had been living with cancer for a bit longer.
The merger would avoid a duplication of administrative resources, freeing up more resources for the Cancer Society to use elsewhere, and would make life "a lot easier, to be honest", he said.
Southland Charity Hospital founder Melissa Vining said the announcement was positive, particularly for pooling funds for cancer research which could have a "significant impact" on the whole South Island.
"Rather than having lots of different little research funds, having meaningful research, which will help get more significant funding into research, is a positive."
It was also important for fundraisers to know that the money raised would stay in their local area, and remote appointments were "very much needed in rural areas".
"I think that it’s going to help cancer patients significantly."
