Plan for reform of cancer services released on World Cancer Day

February 4 was declared `World Cancer Day’ to mark the anniversary of the first World Summit Against Cancer in Paris in 2000, at which a global charter against cancer was launched. On World Cancer Day we acknowledge the increasing impact of cancer on people around the world and efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and care. A blueprint for the reform of cancer care in Australia was released today – World Cancer Day. Optimising Cancer Care in Australia was prepared by the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA), The Cancer Council Australia, and the National Cancer Control Initiative (NCCI), with input from and the full support of consumer groups. It provides the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing and her state and territory counterparts with a national model for cancer care.

The report was released at the launch of CAN Australia, a new national alliance representing people affected by cancer.Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 27.4% of deaths. One in three Australians will have cancer at some time during their lives, and the number of new diagnoses is increasing year by year. The chair of the steering committee that developed the consultative report, Professor Lester Peters, said the blueprint emerged from a process of wide consultation with consumers, health care professionals, and policy-makers. “Its essential message is that while cancer survival in Australia compares well with world standards, we could be doing much better in the way services are provided,” he said.”To achieve the best possible outcomes, we need to improve the entire cancer journey so that people can access appropriate care for their individual needs at all stages of their illness, in a coordinated and timely fashion.”We’re proposing a new approach to cancer care in this country, with services organised around the patient.” The report identifies an under-investment in cancer – treatment of the disease accounts for only 6% of national healthcare expenditure.”Australia’s budget for cancer services is at the low end of international norms for developed countries,” Prof. Peters said. “As a nation, we can afford the modest increases in spending required to implement the recommendations proposed here. “In fact, investment in achieving better outcomes makes good economic sense – it reduces subsequent costs to the health system as well as avoiding the loss of productivity and dependence on social security that occur when patients drop out of the workforce.”The report sets out three key areas where change is needed: the models of care (relating to the way care is provided and by whom, keeping in mind Australia’s unique geography and demography); quality of care (including ensuring it is evidence-based); and resource issues (including workforce shortages, skills development, and patient access to services).It contains 12 key recommendations addressing quality, access and resource issues, plus a proposed strategy for implementation. The document proposes a national task force be set up to drive the reform process. Recommendations in the report will need to be assessed, costed and prioritised.The President of COSA, Dr Liz Kenny, said a national approach is essential.”A lot of the problems we see in the current system result from jurisdictional issues between the Commonwealth and the states and territories,” she said. “To get the best results, all stakeholders – including consumers, health professionals and policy-makers as well as governments – need to work together.”The Chief Executive Officer of The Cancer Council Australia, Professor Alan Coates, said: “Reform won’t happen overnight – but this report is valuable in establishing priority areas in which improvements are needed. The sooner mechanisms are set up to improve the delivery of cancer services, the sooner patients will benefit.”The Director of the NCCI, Professor Mark Elwood, said: “This report brings together the views of those affected by cancer and those caring for them in a unique way. The process of developing the report – which included discussions with policy-makers – has already helped to inform cancer policy. We should be able to make cancer care in Australia the best in the world.”The report has been sent to the federal, state and territory health ministers. As the recommendations of Optimising Cancer Care in Australia have the strong endorsement of consumer groups, it is fitting that the report was released at the launch of CAN Australia. CAN Australia brings together groups and individuals around Australia to advocate on cancer-related issues. COSA, The Cancer Council and the NCCI welcome the launch of CAN Australia.(Source: Australian Cancer Council)