A new oncology clinic has opened at South West Healthcare's Camperdown hospital and will operate every second Friday.

A hospital spokesperson said a fortnightly clinic was sufficient to meet current patients' needs.

"It's about access to care closer to home," the spokesperson said.

"We understand that for many patients, particularly those who are elderly, travel can be a burden and take up a large amount of time when accessing essential services and treatments.

"We are trying to explore lots of ways to make cancer treatment more accessible and convenient, and opening a clinic in Camperdown is just one of them."

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Before the new clinic, patients were seen in Warrnambool at either the hospital or the city's cancer centre.

The clinic aims to better service residents living in Colac, Terang, Lismore, Cobden and Timboon.

The spokesperson said the offering had already made a difference to patients' lives.

"One of our patients remarked that in order to come to her appointments she needed to rely on her children to drive her to Warrnambool and that they in turn needed to take the day off work," the spokesperson said.

"However having a clinic in Camperdown meant that she could get herself to the appointment and she had a greater sense of independence and flexibility.

"It's not always going to be possible to bring every service that the Warrnambool Base offers out into the regions, but where we can we will certainly try".

But not all appointments will be available in Camperdown. Some complex treatments may still need to be administered in Warrnambool.

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