Todd Harper, CEO at Cancer Council Victoria, shared an update from Cancer Council Victoriaon, on LinkedIn, adding:
“This is such an important change for regional cancer patients, who experience the physical, emotional and financial burden of travelling for treatment of disease and illness, including cancer.
We look forward to hearing similar commitments from parties ahead of November’s election.
I want to acknowledge the leading health organisations, we have been collaborating with, to achieve a better deal for regional patients, thank you.”
Quoting Cancer Council Victoriaon:
“We welcome today’s commitment from the Victorian government to increase travel and accommodation subsidies for regional and rural Victorians, helping to ease the financial burden of travelling for medical treatment and care.
Together with the VPTAS Alliance, Cancer Council Victoria has been advocating changes to better support people who need to travel long distances to access essential healthcare.
For many people affected by cancer, the costs of fuel, accommodation, and time away from home can add significant financial pressure during an already challenging time. That’s why reforms to the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) are so important.
This announcement is a positive step towards improving access to care and reducing the financial burden faced by patients and carers across regional and rural Victoria.
We thank the members of the VPTAS Alliance for their ongoing advocacy and call on all parties contesting the 2026 Victorian election to commit to similar reforms that improve equitable access to healthcare, regardless of where a person lives.
We look forward to continuing discussions about the future of the scheme, including ensuring support keeps pace with rising costs and addressing barriers that prevent some patients and carers from accessing assistance.”
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