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Engaged Members
Volume 12 No 3
I
June 2016
11
A/Prof Tom Shakespeare
Associate Professor, University of New South Wales Rural Clinical
School; Senior Radiation Oncologist, Port Macquarie, Coffs
Harbour and Lismore Base Hospitals; Director of Radiation
Oncology, Mid North Coast Cancer Institute and North Coast
Cancer Institute; Director of Cancer Services Mid North Coast
and Northern NSW Local Health Districts
Elected Fellow on the Faculty of Radiation Oncology Council
Background
I have had the fantastic opportunity to
work as a radiation oncologist in major
tertiary referral hospitals in Sydney,
help build and staff radiotherapy units
in Singapore, and help build, staff and
now oversee the three public integrated
cancer centres in Port Macquarie, Coffs
Harbour and Lismore (in rural NSW).
I have worked in both public and private
practice, and have had the amazing
experience of auditing radiotherapy
facilities of countries in Asia and South
America for the International Atomic
Energy Agency, as well as auditing
regional and metropolitan centres as
part of the Australian Single Machine
Unit Trial evaluation.
The portfolios I have held in the
departments I have worked in include
Director of Training, Head of Quality,
Head of Research, and now Director
of Cancer Services for the Mid North
Coast and Northern Rivers of NSW. I
have been a generalist (when I was the
only radiation oncologist in Western
Singapore, servicing a population of
two million with a single linac!), and
over time subspecialised to my current
sites of urogenital and breast. Some of
the most fulfilling work I have ever done
though, is via the 15-year-old sister-site
relationships we have formed with the
Department of Radiation Oncology at
Cho Ray Hospital, Vietnam. An hour
spent educating the staff there cascades
to benefit thousands of patients a year,
and the thanks from the Vietnamese
radiation oncologists and their staff is
simply overwhelming.
My involvement with the College over
the years has reflected my portfolios
and passions. I have been on various
committees including the Post-
Fellowship Education Committee,
Quality Improvement Committee, the
Asia-Pacific Radiation Oncology Special
Interest Group and Faculty of Radiation
Oncology Genitourinary Group. When
I was asked if I would like to nominate
for the Faculty Council I was honoured,
but I also experienced some trepidation.
My fear related to how I would fulfil this
role adequately given my other roles,
my involvement in the other dozen
or so committees I am on (including
the Cancer Institute NSW, EviQ and
within our Local Health District), as well
as just having commenced a PhD (in
prostate cancer outcomes). After much
contemplation I agreed, as I hoped I
could bring a balanced contribution to
the varied issues the Faculty currently
faces.
Why I Am Involved
One of the things I hope to bring to
the Faculty Council is an understanding
of the challenges faced by the many
radiation oncologists working in
small units, in both rural/regional and
metropolitan settings. Without working
in these settings, particularly living in
a small rural town, it is difficult to fully
comprehend the difficulties with staffing
and operating these centres, as well
as conducting research and training.
These challenges can be overcome
with innovative approaches which I
hope to share, including telehealth, the
comprehensive use of electronic medical
A/Prof Tom
Shakespeare
“One of the things I
hope to bring to the
Faculty Council is an
understanding of the
challenges faced by
the many radiation
oncologists working
in small units, in
both rural/regional
and metropolitan
settings.”