‘Disgusted’: Woman’s cancer surgery fight

A skin cancer patient has allegedly been denied surgery from Goulburn Hospital in NSW because she is too old for the operation, but the facility says she was merely referred somewhere else.

Appearing on A Current Affair, 90-year-old great-grandmother Alicia detailed her experience dealing with melanomas on her head and hands.

Her daughter Wanda alleged the hospital had denied Alicia an operation due to her age.

The hospital denied this in a statement provided to the program.

“As far as I’m concerned I’m disgusted with them,” Alicia said.

“(Getting the surgery would mean) a lot because I’m a human being and I’m entitled to it.”

The Full Southern NSW Local Health District, in which Goulburn Hospital operates, said it would never deny a patient treatment based on age.

“This patient was not refused care based on their age, nor are any other people who require care,” the statement read.

“Each skin cancer is different and is assessed individually.

“Due to the complex nature of the treatment required on this occasion, a decision was made in the best interests of the patient to refer them to a higher level facility where a plastic surgeon was available.

“Goulburn Base Hospital is a Level 4 hospital that does not perform complex surgical procedures including plastic surgery.”

National Seniors Australia chief executive Chris Grice said there had likely been a communication problem between the family and the hospital.

Wanda said the decision would force Alicia to travel to a private hospital in Canberra.

“This is just wrong. It’s very unfair to the elderly people that live in Goulburn,” Wanda said.

“Mum grew up in the days where there wasn’t any sun protection, there wasn’t any thought — the browner you were, the healthier you looked. She didn’t wear a hat.”

Alicia also has a pacemaker and early dementia.