Following the 2009-10 federal budget announcement of $560 million in capital grants for up to 10 regional cancer centres, the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA) and Cancer Council Australia convened a national workshop in Canberra on 4 August to develop an independent cancer sector position on generic criteria for the grants allocation process.
Just under 50 delegates attended, covering a range of sectors and disciplines, including clinical specialists with hands-on experience in regional cancer service delivery, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing staff, state/territory health department representatives and consumers (list of attendees p19).
Overarching themes throughout the workshop discussion and recommendations included the need to ensure:
- successful grant applicants guarantee recurrent funding to support the capital investment – minimum staffing and appropriate professional mix will be critical
- long-term sustainability is assured
- systemic workforce issues are resolved
- genuine multidisciplinary care underpins the service
- current and future (projected) population needs will be met
- cross-border issues are resolved
- linkages with both metropolitan cancer centres and ‘feeder’ hospitals are in place or developed.
Click here to view the full report.