Wednesday, 9 September 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (18:58): (2793) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to ensure Victorian men do not lose access to specialist prostate cancer nurses following federal Labor’s decision to disgracefully cut funding to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia’s nursing program. More than 7000 Victorian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Those men and their families will suddenly face frightening decisions about surgery, radiation, hormone therapy and other treatments while confronting potentially life-changing consequences, including incontinence, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and depression. Sadly, too many will succumb to this insidious disease. For more than a decade, PCFA specialist nurses have helped men navigate that journey.

There are 23 PCFA specialist prostate cancer nursing positions across Victoria, a mix of full-time and part-time roles equivalent to around 18 full-time positions. Almost 14 of those full-time equivalent positions are supported by Commonwealth funding. They are already under enormous pressure. At the Alfred alone, the specialist prostate cancer nurse recorded more than 3500 patient contacts last year, almost twice what is considered a sustainable workload. Across the Victorian positions affected by this decision, there were more than 26,000 patient contacts last financial year. Yet federal Labor has decided to dismantle this proven specialist model.

David Davis interjected.

Georgie CROZIER: It is shameful, Mr Davis. What makes this decision even more extraordinary is that the Commonwealth’s own independent evaluation of cancer nursing programs will not be completed until June next year, so Labor has made this decision before its own evaluation is even finished. Just three years ago the federal health minister described prostate cancer nurses as invaluable and committed another $35.4 million to expanding the specialist workforce. Now his government is dismantling the very model it championed.

Minister, you cannot simply wash your hands of this and say it is Canberra’s responsibility. These nurses work in Victorian hospitals and support Victorian patients, and it will be Victorian men and their families who pay the price if specialist services are lost. Minister, you should demand your federal Labor colleagues reverse this disgraceful decision, and if Canberra refuses, you need to step up and fund them.