The Canberra community is losing a second health service, with Calvary John James Hospital set to shut its cancer clinic.
Primary Health Care will close its Wanniassa Medical Centre tomorrow and move the seven doctors to Phillip a decision that has been widely condemned.
About 300 people have already protested outside the Wanniassa clinic and more than 1500 have signed a petition circulated by former nurse Joy Burch, who is a Labor candidate for Brindabella.
It has now emerged that the ACT's largest private hospital Calvary John James will shut its day oncology service by the end of September.
Cancer Council ACT chief executive Joan Bartlett said yesterday it was a ''great shame'' for patients who had relied on this service.
Hospital chief executive Paul Robertson said the clinic was ''unsustainable financially''.
''The rebates that we're receiving from private health funds are not matching the expenses of running and staffing the unit. And I suppose, bearing in mind that the hospital was sold less than two years ago for being under financial pressure, we've got to make some commercial decisions,'' he said.
The unit was opened four days a week and treated about five patients a day.
About 70 patients were using the service.
He believed most of the patients would continue their treatment at National Capital Private Hospital, at Garran, or Zita Mary Clinic at Calvary Hospital, Bruce.
But some patients could end up at Canberra Hospital where there was spiralling demand for cancer services.
ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher has revealed plans for a third linear accelerator at Canberra Hospital.
She said, ''With full staffing, the new linear accelerator will increase the Canberra Hospital's capacity to provide radiation oncology services by 30 per cent.
''Over the past 12 months new patient referrals have increased by about 25 per cent and the average number of patients waiting to commence radiotherapy treatment has increased by about 30 per cent.
''Since 2005, we have extended the normal hours of operation and improved processes to increase the provision of services, but without the new linear accelerator we would not have been able to cope with the increased demand for services.''
In the ACT, about 1200 people a year are diagnosed with cancer and more than 400 die from the disease.
Canberra has the highest rates of breast and prostate cancer in the country, according to figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
But the ACT has the lowest rate of cancer deaths overall about 160 per 100,000 people in 2006.
Ms Bartlett, of the Cancer Council ACT, said Calvary John James Hospital had provided ''excellent'' services for people with cancer.
Losing services when a growth in services was needed ''is desperately disappointing'', she said.
''[Cancer] is a disease of old age and we're all going there.
''But unfortunately it does seem that the closure was inevitable financially anyway but [the patients] did get lovely service there because of the quality of the staff and because the numbers [of patients] were not high.''
Mr Robertson said the four nurses and one clinician who worked in the clinic would take on roles in other parts of the hospital.
Ms Gallagher said the Health Department would ensure no patient missed out on crucial care because of the closure.
''The closure of the oncology unit at Calvary John James Hospital is a private-sector closure and a decision made by a private company,'' she said.
''As such, Government cannot influence these decisions.
''However, ACT Health believes it will be possible to accommodate these [patients] at National Capital Private Hospital. ACT Health will ensure no patients miss out on vital care.''