Optimal cancer care and clinical excellence requires models that integrate cancer research, clinical trials, education and treatment to deliver care and support for consumers in all locations, across the cancer care continuum. A national framework for comprehensive cancer care will provide strategic leadership to the sector and build system capacity and capability. It will foster organisational, geographic and service level partnerships and define pathways of care across the cancer care system, including comprehensive cancer centres, regional hospitals, community organisations, and the primary care sector, including the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector. An effective networked approach to comprehensive cancer care will place the cancer consumer at the centre of care, strengthen the delivery of service and care integration, reflect the needs of the local community, and improve access to quality cancer care as close to home as safely possible.[134]
This 2-year action could include:
A strong model of networked comprehensive cancer care would also enhance national coordination of cancer service planning (including service location and linkage) to improve access to optimal care, particularly in remote and rural areas and other underserved populations. There is an opportunity to leverage the significant specialist capacity and infrastructure provided through existing comprehensive cancer centres. This could include the use of technology and other innovative service delivery mechanisms to provide access to clinical specialist capacity to geographically dispersed populations. Implementation will also consider a process for national networking between cancer centres to ensure the benefits of comprehensive research-driven cancer care are available to all Australians.