Primary care practitioners, and particularly general practitioners, have an important role in cancer care across the cancer control continuum, traditionally concerned with prevention, screening, diagnosis, supportive care, and end-of-life care. Increasingly, new models of care, including multidisciplinary care and shared care models, involve primary care as part of cancer treatment and follow-up.

Significant pressures on the health system, particularly on hospitals, due to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the maldistribution of the medical specialist workforce nationally, indicate an increasingly important role of primary care in cancer care. Despite the prevalence of cancer however, the average general practitioner will only encounter a limited number of patients each year who will be diagnosed with cancer.

Supporting the broader primary care workforce with the necessary skills, capabilities, experience, and support to provide effective cancer care and to work at the top of their scope of practice is critical to the future delivery of cancer care. This includes primary and community care nurses, community pharmacists, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners, and allied health professionals.

By addressing current gaps in skills and supply by building capability of the primary care cancer workforce, this action can ensure that Australia has the pipeline of future capabilities to continue delivering quality cancer care to all Australians, regardless of location, personal circumstances, or cancer type.

Building the capability of the primary care workforce may include strategies such as:

• extending the scope of practice in cancer care for primary care roles
• prioritising training and upskilling opportunities for the primary care workforce
• forecasting future skill needs for cancer care and potential shortages for more effective workforce planning
• growing the primary cancer care workforce in rural and regional areas through innovation and increased funding
• adopting new technologies to reduce administrative burden and allow the primary care workforce to spend more time with consumers
• broadening scope within multidisciplinary teams for cancer, to actively include general practitioners, community and allied health, as well as cancer care specialists.

This 2-year action identifies collaboration and sustainability as key enablers. Collaboration would involve engagement with states and territories, Primary Health Networks, health professional bodies and colleges, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, education and training bodies, and allied health services to develop comprehensive strategies that leverage current initiatives. Sustainability would involve future capability planning to ensure a consistent pipeline of primary care workers with necessary skills and experience in cancer care, as well as ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure capability continues to meet the evolving needs of consumers, including their carers and families.