Implementation and measuring success

Overview

The Australian Cancer Plan (the Plan) is a 10-year reform agenda for the whole Australian cancer community. Implementation of an ambitious national framework such as this requires leadership and collaboration across the entire cancer control sector. The Australian Government has committed to taking action for delivery of the 10-year Plan. Early implementation priorities will be focused on:

• improving cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• an Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN)
• standardising the development, update, evaluation and uptake of Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs)
• developing an agreed National Cancer Data Framework
• implementing a National Lung Cancer Screening Program
• eliminating cervical cancer
• implementing a new Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program
• developing a National Framework for Genomics in Cancer Control.

Cancer Australia invites partners from across the cancer control sector to consider their contribution to this national reform agenda and to commit to actions to assist in the delivery of the Plan’s goals. Potential leadership roles and responsibilities will involve a wide range of partners, including:

• State and Territory governments
• non-government organisations
• health service providers
• clinicians
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations
• professional colleges
• the research community
• the education and training sector (including universities)
• industry.

To support the involvement of partners in implementation of the Plan, Cancer Australia will:

• promulgate the shared vision of a national Australian Cancer Plan in practice
• support partners to set common measures and build data collection capacity
• seek and share innovation including the rapid translation and application of research and evidence in all forms
• identify, advocate for, and action shared priorities that require national approaches, including priorities that contribute to achieving the goals of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Implementation detail will continue to evolve in a range of contexts over the 10-year life of the Plan.

Reporting

Cancer Australia will report on the Australian Cancer Plan’s implementation progress against shared measures of success. This website will be updated to capture progress over the life of the Plan.

Monitoring and evaluation

The Australian Cancer Plan will be reviewed after the 2-year and 5-year marks against the 2‑ and 5-year goals and actions for each Strategic Objective. Following these reviews, further actions for Strategic Objectives may be considered to ensure the Plan is on track to meet its 10-year ambitions.

A Monitoring and Evaluation framework aligned with the Implementation Plan will be developed and will be supported by:

• consultation with stakeholders
• collection of data for key indicators across the life of the Plan
• independent reviews after 2, 5 and 10 years.

Roles and responsibilities across the cancer control sector

The Australian Government has committed to improving cancer outcomes for all Australians and to supporting implementation of the Australian Cancer Plan, starting in 2023. The Australian Government’s responsibilities will include leading the development of new strategies and policies requiring national leadership, as well as prioritisation and reorientation of existing programs, where appropriate, to ensure they are closely aligned with the Plan. This includes through a partnership approach that embraces the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations—including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services—and communities.

Stakeholders are invited to consider how their activities contribute to implementation of the Australian Cancer Plan actions. Examples of the types of activities which will be needed for the implementation of each Action can be found in the Explanatory Text for each Strategic Objective section of the Australian Cancer Plan.

Implementation Plan

The initial Implementation Plan (below) indicates each 2- and 5-year action for which the Australian Government anticipates taking a leadership role. Details are provided for actions that are underway or will commence in 2023–24. All Australian Government implementation activities shown have been funded in the 2023–24 Budget or previous Budgets.

Stakeholders are invited to consider actions on which they would like to lead or partner. Cancer Australia will undertake a consultation process to further develop the Implementation Plan.

Strategic Objective 1: Maximising Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

10-year ambition: A cancer control system that seeks to eliminate racism, proactively reduces cancer risk and supports all Australians to access personalised, evidence-based cancer prevention and early detection strategies

2-year goal: Access to culturally safe prevention and screening approaches to reduce cancer risk is improved, and evidence-based and personalised cancer risk assessment strategies are identified

1.2.1 Deliver cancer prevention and health promotion activities, including healthy lifestyles, immunisation, and population screening participation, co-designed and tailored to a range of settings.

1.2.2 Strengthen cancer prevention in broader health strategies and public health partnerships.

1.2.3 Promote translational research on the impact of social, cultural, commercial, and environmental determinants of health on cancer outcomes for priority populations to inform policy and practice.

1.2.4 Undertake ongoing assessment of the evidence for risk-based, cost-effective population cancer screening.

1.2.5 Strengthen health literacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through co-designed health promotion and lifestyle strategies for cancer prevention.

5-year goal: Culturally safe prevention and screening approaches to reduce cancer risk are embedded, and evidence-based and personalised cancer prevention and early detection strategies are incorporated into standard of care

1.5.1 Strengthen the policy and regulatory environment to address known modifiable lifestyle factors and social, cultural, commercial, and environmental determinants of health.

1.5.2 Expand access to culturally safe and responsive immunisation programs to reduce risk of cancers, including in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and community-led priority population groups.

1.5.3 Implement new, and improve existing, evidenced-based, risk-stratified cancer screening programs.

1.5.4 Develop a policy framework for genomics in cancer control across the cancer care continuum.

1.5.5 Increase access to and uptake of health assessments through Medicare for cancer prevention and early detection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Back to top

Strategic Objective 2: Enhanced Consumer Experience

10-year ambition: People affected by cancer are partners in culturally safe, equitable and responsive cancer care, and health services and systems are trusted and supported for optimal experience, quality of life and cancer outcomes

2-year goal: Person-centred models of integrated navigation in cancer care are nationally defined, co-designed, developed and tested with consumers, to incorporate culturally safe cancer care

2.2.1 Develop a national framework for and implement integrated multi-channel, multi-disciplined navigation models that ensure the right support at the right time for every consumer across the cancer continuum.

2.2.2 Improve availability of co-designed, tailored information and care for consumers to improve health literacy and reduce cancer-related stigma.

2.2.3 Support health services to provide co-designed, culturally responsive resources to enable healthcare providers to communicate respectfully with consumers.

5-year goal: Personalised models of navigation in cancer care are widely available to all Australians affected by cancer – engaging consumers in culturally safe, equitable and responsive cancer care, and driving re-orientation of health service systems, including training and distribution of cancer health workforce

2.5.1 Evaluate, adapt and scale nationally integrated care navigation models across the cancer care continuum.

2.5.2 Require health services to provide co-designed, culturally responsive resources to enable healthcare providers to communicate respectfully with consumers.

2.5.3 Ensure multidisciplinary cancer care teams for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are trauma-aware and healing-informed.

Back to top

Strategic Objective 3: World Class Health Systems for Optimal Care

10-year ambition: Integrated, coordinated, data-driven, high quality health service systems that consistently deliver optimal cancer care and excellence in outcomes

2-year goal: Frameworks for high quality comprehensive health service systems established to deliver better cancer care and improved outcomes

3.2.1 Develop and implement a national framework that standardises the development, update, evaluation, and uptake of Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs), including for priority population groups.

3.2.2 Develop a national framework for networked, distributed comprehensive cancer care, to facilitate provision of services as close as safely possible to where patients live. This will include the role of Comprehensive Cancer Centres to enhance patient outcomes, strengthen transparency and accountability, and drive continuous improvements for all patients across the network regardless of where the care is provided.

3.2.3 Implement innovative, evidence-based and cost-effective models of care for people living with and beyond cancer.

3.2.4 Develop and refine integrated care models to maximise access to high-quality, timely and evidence-based palliative and end-of- life care, including voluntary assisted dying.

3.2.5 Lead a national approach to identifying and reporting Indigenous status in cancer care

5-year goal: Networked high quality comprehensive cancer care systems that deliver optimal cancer care and better outcomes

3.5.1 Integrate Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) as routine cancer care using a monitoring and evaluation system that links the implementation of OCPs to patient outcomes and experience.

3.5.2 Establish an Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN) to ensure connectivity and sharing of expertise between Comprehensive Cancer Centres, other cancer services, regional hospitals, community and primary care. The establishment of an ACCN will increase equity of access across services for all patients, deliver cancer care close to home, and monitor evidence-based system performance.

3.5.3 Improve equitable access to evidence-based, innovative models of integrated multidisciplinary care across the cancer continuum.

3.5.4 Implement sustainable approaches to improve access to accepted, traditional healing practitioners within cancer services to enable an integrated, trauma-aware, healing-informed oncology approach for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Back to top

Strategic Objective 4: Strong and Dynamic Foundations

10-year ambition: A modern, fit for purpose cancer control infrastructure, advanced by the innovative application of technology, research, and data to improve Australia’s cancer outcomes

2-year goal: Nationally agreed frameworks for collection and reporting of comprehensive cancer data, and implementation of new technologies into routine cancer care, with a focus on research priorities that drive innovation and fast-track opening of cancer clinical trials in Australia

4.2.1 Develop an agreed national cancer data framework to improve accessibility, consistency and comprehensiveness of integrated data assets.

4.2.2 Ensure targeted and innovative research investment into areas of unmet and emerging need; and improve clinical trial design and equitable access.

4.2.3 Identify opportunities to improve equitable cancer care through the digital health ecosystem.

4.2.4 Establish Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led initiatives which strengthen Indigenous Data Sovereignty and governance of cancer data.

5-year goal: A national cancer data ecosystem supporting evidence-based, innovative models of care which incorporate national uptake of advanced technology and infrastructure, underpinned by world-class research and a clinical trials landscape in which all Australians have equal access

4.5.1 Design and embed patient reported experience and patient reported outcomes into national performance monitoring and reporting for all providers, to assess services for all population groups and establish an evidence base.

4.5.2 Expand access to digitally enabled cancer care to improve equity and access to quality cancer care, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.

4.5.3 Explore and test innovative approaches to health service funding models to address areas of need, and system improvement, in cancer care.

4.5.4 Expand the use of technology and virtual care to increase access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to support communities across the cancer care continuum.

Back to top

Strategic Objective 5: Workforce to Transform the Delivery of Cancer Care

10-year ambition: An engaged, capable, and future-focused cancer workforce that is culturally safe and responsive, well-equipped, well-supported and driven by collaboration, continuous improvement and diversity to enable inclusive care for all Australians affected by cancer

2-year goal: National strategies developed to enhance clinical and cultural safety training and accreditation processes, build workforce diversity, expand multidisciplinary roles and determine retention strategies

5.2.1 Identify current and emerging workforce undersupply in line with cancer workforce modelling and other national health workforce strategies, and initiate planning with the sector towards building future workforce capacity and capability.

5.2.2 Build on existing capability of the primary care workforce to collaboratively and sustainably support the needs of consumers.

5.2.3 Evaluate and extend cultural safety training programs to cancer service providers, including through community-based partnerships with priority population groups.

5.2.4 Identify priority areas of need for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer care workforce, and develop a plan to recruit, train and retain the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer care workforce.

5-year goal: Strategies implemented to enable a culturally safe, responsive, and capable multidisciplinary workforce that is working at the top of their scope of practice and ability to deliver high quality cancer care

5.5.1 Implement a cancer care workforce pipeline that meets demand for optimal cancer care, with diversity measures in training, recruitment, and talent management to ensure the cancer workforce represents the diversity of patient populations.

5.5.2 Assist the sector to support all cancer care practitioners to work at the top of their scope of practice, increase retention and ensure ongoing access to continuing professional development.

5.5.3 Routinely integrate cultural safety training programs for cancer service providers, including through community-based partnerships with priority population groups.

5.5.4 Support national coordination and implementation of a plan to recruit, train and retain the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer care workforce.

Back to top

Strategic Objective 6: Achieving Equity in Cancer Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

10-year ambition: Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, strength and sovereignty in a health system that achieves equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by cancer

2-year goal: Collaborative partnership and cross-sector approaches are developed and enhanced at the system, service and individual level; individual and institutional racism and discrimination across cancer services is identified and addressed

6.2.1 Embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in policymaking on cancer prevention, care delivery and standards through leadership, collaboration and co-design processes.

6.2.2 Strengthen collaboration with service providers, regulatory authorities and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer workforce to establish clear accountability for culturally safe care and compliance with national standards.

6.2.3 Establish and enhance collaborative partnerships with communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led organisations.

5-year goal: Priority is given to accountability for the delivery of culturally safe services by all health professionals; training opportunities and support programs are established for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals in the cancer sector

6.5.1 Establish ongoing place-based engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to understand emerging needs across the cancer care continuum.

6.5.2 Implement strategies to embed culturally safe care within cancer related services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Back to top