WAITING TIMES

central west & WESTERN Nsw

CONSULTANT PHYSICIAN - CLINICAL HAEMATOLOGIST

BA MBBS FRACP

Dr Tom Gleeson

Dr Tom Gleeson

To strive for equity of access to safe, timely and expert
care for rural and remote patients with blood cancers
and other haematologic conditions.


Care should be provided as close to home as possible,
always cognisant of the need to consider the whole
person and their place within family and community.

MISSION STATEMENT

Tom is a Clinical Haematologist, living and practising in
central-west and western New South Wales.


He grew up in Sydney, initially completing a Bachelor of
Arts (Advanced) at the University of Sydney, majoring in
Latin with minor studies in Ancient Greek and Classical
Literature. He completed his MBBS at the ANU Medical
School in 2011.


Medical training was completed at Orange Base Hospital,
Prince of Wales Hospital, Wollongong Hospital, Canberra
Hospital and Nepean Hospital. He received his Fellowship
(FRACP) in Clinical Haematology in early 2023.


He is married with two young sons. He enjoys gardening with
native Australian plants, trail running and bush walking.



Telopea speciosissima (New South Wales waratah)

DR TOM GLEESOn

Thelymitra ixioides, growing in the Mullion Ranges, Orange NSW

Dr Gleeson is a member of the following associations and professional bodies:


  • Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians

  • Haematology Society of Australia & New Zealand (HSANZ)


  • Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG)

  • Thrombosis & Haemostasis Society of Australia & New Zealand (THANZ)


  • Haematology in Obstetrics & Women’s Health Collaborative

  • Council of Rural Doctors - Australian Medical Association


  • Rural Health Network executive committee - Agency for Clinical Innovation

associations

Public clinics:

Dubbo Base Hospital (MON-WED)

Mudgee Hospital (fortnightly TUES)

Coonabarabran Hospital (February, May, August, November)

Walgett Hospital (March, April, July, October)

Bourke District Hospital (March, June, October)

Cobar District Hospital (March, October)


Telehealth consultations:

Rylstone, Mudgee, Gulgong, Dunedoo, Coolah,
Coonabarabran, Baradine, Gilgandra, Gulargambone,
Coonamble, Walgett, Collarenebri, Lightning Ridge,
Goodooga, Brewarrina, Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, Warren,
Trangie, Tottenham, Peak Hill, Narromine, Wellington


Dr Gleeson has an appointment as a Clinical Haematologist at Dubbo Base Hospital and Mudgee Hospital. In addition, he provides rural outreach clinics & telehealth consultations to many of the small rural & remote towns across the district. These are public clinics through which Medicare-eligible patients are seen with no out-of-pocket fees.

PUBLIC clinics

Dates for the next outreach clinics are as follows:


2025 clinics:

  • Coonabarabran - WED 5th February
  • Walgett - TUES 18th March
  • Bourke - WED 19th March
  • Cobar - THURS 20th March
  • Walgett - WED 30th April
  • Coonabarabran - WED 21st May
  • Bourke - THURS 26th June
  • Walgett - WED 30th July
  • Coonabarabran - WED 20th August
  • Walgett - TUES 14th October
  • Bourke - WED 15th October
  • Cobar - THURS 16th October
  • Coonabarabran - WED 19th November


All referrals via Western Cancer Centre Dubbo.

RURAL outreach clinics

Dr Gleeson has a special interest in multiple
myeloma, as well as myeloproliferative
neoplasms and provides an obstetric
haematology service to women at Dubbo Base
Hospital.


Children under sixteen years of age can be
discussed with the on-call haematologist at
Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney.


Some conditions, eg high-grade haematologic
malignancies or certain bleeding disorders, are
best treated in larger hospitals with access to
multidisciplinary teams.

REFERRALS

Caladenia gracilis, growing at 1200m elevation on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, Orange NSW

Referrals are triaged and consultations allocated according to clinical level
of urgency.


Rapid Access - urgent immediate review (same day or within the week)

Category 1 - review within 30 days

Category 2 - review within 90 days

Category 3 - review within 365


The clinical priority is to see patients with new or relapsed blood
cancers and a limited number of serious non-malignant conditions as soon
as possible.


Category 3 patients can expect a 6-12 month wait and may be
allocated to a waiting list. Referring doctors may wish to consider
referral to a Sydney-based haematologist offering telehealth consultations
or to the haematologists at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. If your clinical
condition changes whilst on the waiting list, please ask your referring GP to
phone the haematology clinic to discuss whether an earlier review may be
possible.

WAITING TIMES

Myeloma is a blood cancer arising from a very special type of
white blood cell in the bone marrow - plasma cells.


The plasma cells produce an abnormal antibody protein, detected in
the serum and/or urine - the paraprotein.


Treatments have largely moved away from traditional cytotoxic
chemotherapy and are now based upon targeted immune therapies
and monoclonal antibodies. There is a significant amount of myeloma
research being conducted through clinical trials.


AL amyloidosis is a rare disease related to myeloma, in which the
paraprotein is abnormally folded and causes damage to the body by
being deposited in tissues such as the heart, kidneys, nerves and
muscles.


Patients will be referred to the Myeloma Specialist Nurses at
Myeloma Australia who are available via a telephone support line.



multiple myeloma & al amyloidosis

Lymphomas are blood cancers arising from white blood
cells called lymphocytes. They are grouped into two main
categories - Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma - with
more than eighty different subtypes.


Some lymphomas are high-grade/aggressive cancers which require
prompt treatment. Many others are low-grade/indolent (slow,
grumbling) and may not require immediate treatment, but instead,
active surveillance.


It is important to understand with which lymphoma subtype a
patient has been diagnosed and the treatment plan specific to
that individual.


Patients will be referred to the Lymphoma Care Nurses at
Lymphoma Australia.

LYMPHOMA information & support


High-grade/aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma




Link to treatment protocols

Acute leukaemias are aggressive blood cancers which arise from
white blood cells in the bone marrow. These include:

  • Acute myeloid leukaemia
  • Acute promyelocytic leukaemia
  • B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
  • Adult T-cell lymphoma/leukaemia


Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are blood cancers which are
closely related to and in some cases do progress to acute myeloid
leukaemia.


Chronic leukaemias are generally more indolent (slow,grumbling)
and are often categorsied amongst the family of blood cancers
known as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Some of these
are quite rare:

  • chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
  • chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML)
  • myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN)
  • polycythaemia vera (PV)
  • essential thrombocythaemia (ET)
  • primary myelofibrosis (PMF)


Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is in a special category
and best thought of as a low-grade/indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

leukaemia & myeloproliferative neoplasms

Blood cancer information

MPN patient information booklet

MPN treatment factsheets

Patient referral link

Living well with blood cancer

All correspondence please:


Western Cancer Centre - Dubbo Base Hospital

PO Box 739

Dubbo NSW 2830


ph: (02) 6809 6200

fax:(02) 6809 7279


NSW Cancer Institute Canrefer website


contact

(C) Dr T Gleeson 2025