In 2010 the Grampians Integrated Cancer Services (GICS) and Ballarat Health Services (BHS) undertook to identify stakeholder expectations for a regional model of care for cancer services. The Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC) is the first of twenty Regional Integrated Cancer Centres built to improve services across regional Australia.
The creation of Regional Integrated Cancer Centres provides an opportunity to undertake a collaborative process to review existing cancer services and how they will be delivered to regional and rural communities. The GICS is an independent cancer service improvement organization with wide networks across public and private health providers within the Grampians region. GICS was in an unequalled position to facilitate a review by clinicians, health executives and consumers of cancer services across the region. As a result of extensive consultation with regional stakeholders by consultancy firm KPMG, fourteen recommendations for a Grampians regional model of care for cancer services were developed and consensually agreed by service providers, lead clinicians in cancer care, and consumers (KPMG, 2011). Recommendations included integrated service model partnerships, shared guidelines, workforce development, multidisciplinary meetings and regional monitoring to ensure consistency of care.
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Three years on since the the Grampians regional model of care for cancer services recommendations were agreed, and with the BRICC due to open in April 2013, it is timely to review progress and achievements within the Grampians region against the recommendations. Many have already been achieved and good head-way has been made with the remainder. Some ideals for services during consultation were deemed to be too difficult to achieve but are in fact now close to being delivered. Presenters will outline the recommendations for a Grampians regional model of cancer care and discuss the opportunities and lessons learned from within the process to forge a regionally agreed model of care for Grampians patients.