Cancer Australia engaged HMA to map the status of cancer services including tumour types, treatments and referrals provided by regional cancer services (RCSs) and identify how each networked service was delineated in its state and territory’s hospital framework. This project aimed to inform nationally consistent approaches to best practice cancer care in Australia and guide future health service planning.
The project undertook national surveys of capital and staffing infrastructure available in 34 regional cancer services for treating and diagnosing cancer patients as well as current referral pathways.
Recognising the value of the data collected through the survey , Cancer Australia asked HMA to undertake an extensive review and quality assurance process on the submitted survey data. This involved detailed consultation with each jurisdiction to obtain feedback on the survey results. As a result Cancer Australia had, for the first time ever, a comprehensive description of the infrastructure, available support, cancer diagnosis and treatment in Australia’s 34 regional cancer service funded by the Commonwealth. This provided a comprehensive database to inform future regional cancer service planning.
The project commenced in March 2014 and was completed in July 2015.