A Lavington resident has successfully pleaded his case to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne after being told he'd have to go to Sydney for treatment because he lived in NSW.
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Peter Elkins was contacted last Friday by the Alfred, after being referred by Dr Peter Vickers for hyperbaric oxygen therapy and surgery.
"They told me they had discussed it with their team, and they'd decided because I live in NSW they're going to forward my referral to the Royal Prince Alfred," he said.
"Later, I thought 'That's not right'. I thought, if I go to Sydney, it's travelling up there, that's four weeks of accommodation I've got to pay for, I probably would have had to quarantine so I could go to work in Wodonga."
Mr Elkins, whose cancer treatment left him with dead bone in his jaw, received more positive news from the Alfred on Tuesday.
"I called back ... they weren't aware of the border bubble at all," he said.
"I said, 'I'm told I can go anywhere in Victoria, as long as I don't go outside the bubble in NSW'.
"She said, 'So, you're in Lavington?', 'I said, that's right, it's about six kilometres from the border', and she ended up saying, 'Leave it with me, I'll pass it on to my team'.
"They rang me back that afternoon and said, 'We discussed it with the team, we're prepared to accept you now, pending a negative COVID test'."
Mr Elkins has been asked to not go home on weekends and instead stay in Melbourne for the duration of his treatment and surgery, which will hopefully be allocated dates soon.
"I really didn't want to go to Sydney, and I probably wouldn't have," he said.
"I had throat cancer nearly nine years ago now, and the radiation caused osteoradionecrosis; a section of my jawbone is basically dead and I have exposed bone in my jaw."
Because of this, Mr Elkins is prone to infections and his diet is limited, and the condition has progressed to a stage that causes him significant discomfort.
An Alfred Health spokesman said the hospital was "still accepting urgent patient referrals from all over Australia.
"However, some non-urgent outpatient appointments will be rescheduled until the situation in NSW stabilises."
Albury Wodonga Health acting chief executive officer Janet Chapman thanked the Alfred Hospital for the service they provide.
"Albury Wodonga Health continues to provide essential health services to our communities, keeping the safety of our people and patients a priority," she said.
Mr Elkins hopes there aren't other Border residents who have had their treatment postponed or altered, after it also took place during Melbourne's second wave.
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"They did say they'll do the most severe cases first and they probably don't consider my case severe," he said.
"You can understand hospitals can't be too careful.
"I'm looking forward to having it done ... I can't wait to have a burger with the lot, after four years."