South Perth hotel first in Australia to have in room medical treatment

A WILSON resident has partnered with a South Perth hotel and a treatment provider to launch the first Australian hotel service of in-room chemotherapy and medical infusions.

The initiative created by cancer support group Blue Dot Army in partnership with Metro Hotel Perth and cancer treatment provider chemo@home, was launched earlier this month.

Blue Dot Army founder Crystal Howrie said she knew she wanted to help patients after going through the hospital system during her own cancer journey years ago.

“I remember after one particular day, after I went through all these things, I sat down and declared I wanted to change the way people go through this,” she said.

“It’s not about curing cancer, I wish I could but for me, we’re going to focus on the person and not the disease.”

Ms Howrie said there would be a simplified booking form to allocate a tailored room for the guests and any call to action would go to her.

“The language will change completely, once they check in they will become a guest and not a patient,” she said.

Metro Hotel Perth general manager Jeff Hirst said the hotel had set a fixed rate of $100 a night and would give ‘run of the house’ for the guest patients.

“This is largely for people from regional centres where the treatment is not available at the hospital in the regional centres or not available in the homes,” he said.

“They will never be subject to close out periods, when there’s big concerts on or big sporting events on, they will have first priority over everybody to have a room at the hotel at the agreed rate, there will be no increased rates.”

Chemo@home co-founder Lorna Cook said the medical treatments would be covered by private health insurance with no out-of-pocket expenses.

“We’re hoping the State Government will cover this in the near future,” she said.

For information on the bookings, contact crystal@bluedotarmy.com.au or call 1300 466 324 for confidential discussion of treatment options in the hotel.