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Cancer care team established

Posted on October 23, 2008, 3:03pm

South East cancer patients now have access to a team of medical and allied health care professionals without travelling to Adelaide.

Country Health SA chief executive officer George Belchev yesterday announced the establishment of a Mount Gambier team of the Cancer Clinical Network as a first for country South Australia.

“It will allow GPs, as well as medical specialists throughout the South East, to directly refer their cancer patients to the local cancer care multi-disciplinary team,” Mr Belchev said.

“The team will support and streamline referral, prospective planning and access the appropriate cancer management for people living in the South East.”

The team’s membership includes a general surgeon, medical physician, breast care nurse, GPs and representatives with expertise in radiation oncology, radiology, medical oncology, social work, pathology and palliative care.

Team members will have regular videolink conferences with metropolitan specialists in the areas of medical oncology, pathology and radiation oncology to fast track treatment decisions and provide a range of options for rural cancer patients.

The Cancer Clinical Network, which has been established as part of SA Health’s reform program to improve access to health care services, aims to provide all people who are diagnosed with cancer with the opportunity to have their care managed by a multi-disciplinary team.

Mr Belchev said evidence suggested that this response to cancer care could provide positive outcomes for patients receiving the care, for teams providing the care and to health services more broadly.

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