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:

• establishment of a nationally consistent comprehensive cancer care model, considering the strengths and challenges of international and jurisdictional models of networked comprehensive cancer care, such as the National Cancer Institute, Organisation of European Cancer Institutes and Australian comprehensive cancer centre models
• standards and/or minimum requirements for participation in the comprehensive cancer care network for both research and clinical outcomes
• collaboration and agreement across jurisdictions, comprehensive cancer centres, cancer services, primary care, community-based and tertiary care services, ensuring cancer care is provided equitably across metropolitan, regional, rural, and remote communities
• co-design with priority population groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector, to ensure the framework addresses gaps and barriers to accessing high-quality comprehensive cancer care
• develop clear governance and funding mechanisms for a national networked comprehensive cancer care model
• key measures of success and monitoring and evaluation approaches to assess quality of care, system-level outcomes and geographical reach of networks
• support role clarity and consistency in service capability of designated comprehensive cancer centres to enhance patient outcomes, strengthen transparency and accountability, and drive continuous improvements across the whole network.

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.