Current Activities

Here is a snapshot of what we are doing to achieve our strategic goals in the areas of:

Planning

GICS Cancer Plan Achievements PROJECT LEAD: Joanne Gell The Victorian Cancer Plan 2016-2020 provides a framework for our work. Recently, we reported to the DHHS our collective achievements in relation to the four year plan. It's been a very useful and rewarding exercise as you realise the improvements that have been made when you reflect progress over a longer period of time. Read More

GICS Cancer Plan Achievements

GICS is the Cancer service improvement network covering the Grampians. It's comprised of a small program office of 6 staff, working together with 23 health services, clinicians and consumers to find new and different ways to deliver services and support change across the cancer care sector.

The Victorian Cancer Plan 2016-2020 provides a framework for our work. Recently, we reported to the DHHS our collective achievements in relation to the four year plan. It's been a very useful and rewarding exercise as you realise the improvements that have been made when you reflect progress over a longer period of time.

Between 2016 and 2020 GICS have:

Attracted $1.3m of service improvement grants to the region to improve the patient's experience of care.

Conducted grants program - resulting in 4 new services being funded on ongoing basis.

Implemented 5 new referral processes streamlining systems to achieve more timely access to care.

Established rapid access lung clinic at BHS and improved timeframes from referral to first treatment in line with the lung cancer OCP (42 days).

Built capacity of the Grampians nursing and allied health workforce to facilitate wellness and exercise programs, resulting in delivery of quarterly programs on ongoing basis

Empowered patients through developing/piloting 11 patient resources using a co-design approach with consumers (Including My Cancer Care Record, 7 podcasts, immunotherapy cards, chemotherapy poster, my cancer survivor guide

Increased number of MDMs conducted by 13%, resulting in 3819 patient discussions.

Established a supportive care MDM for rural patients, resulting in 244 patients being discussed and referral to local allied health services as required.

Facilitated regional clinical representation at Tumour Summits, follow up discussions at the local level, and implementation of 7 local service improvement initiatives.

Raised awareness of optimal care pathways, so that 86% of Grampians Region cancer care professionals have a high level of awareness of OCPs.

Delivered a health literacy program over three phases, involving 1,211 participants. This project resulted in implementation of 7 prevention/early detection programs across 4 small towns involving 600 community members. A toolkit was developed in partnership with local stakeholders and Deakin University to guide this activity.

Enhanced workforce capacity for nurses across the Grampians with 3005 attendances across 341 training events in the Region to ensure quality, safe patient care.

Increased the number of cancer resources nurses (nurse navigators) to 7 across 6 rural health services, and produced a toolkit to aid other health services implement these roles into their model of care.

Sponsored 450 staff attendances at conferences and workshops for skill development and dissemination of research and evaluation activities.

Of course, this has all be done in partnership with our many stakeholders in the Grampians region.

Additionally, we can also celebrate improvements in service access through the opening of the Wimmera Cancer Centre, a new superficial x-ray therapy service in Stawell, new oncology outreach service to Maryborough, establishment of a Symptom Urgent Review Clinic at Ballarat Health Service and expanded use of telehealth across the region.

Service Quality

Cancer Service Performance Audits PROJECT LEAD: Sharon Daly The Victorian Cancer Performance Indicator program measures progress against the Victorian Government cancer reform policy Read More

Cancer Service Performance Audits

The Victorian Cancer Performance Indicator program measures progress against the Victorian Government cancer reform policy in the areas of:

multidisciplinary
supportive and
coordination of care

Many of our partner health services participate in the annual audit.

GICS undertakes the audits and reports on four indicators that document evidence of:

multidisciplinary recommendations
disease staging in multidisciplinary recommendations
communication of initial treatment plan to the patient's GP
supportive care screening

The indicators are requirements for clinical communication, quality cancer services, and to ensure patient safety.

To view the Cancer Services Performance Indicator Data Collection Method click here

Contact for this project is Sharon Daly, Quality Coordinator

The Cancer Survivor Guide Podcast Series PROJECT LEAD: Glenn Reeves Hosted by ABC broadcaster, Penny Johnston, the GICS Consumer Advisory Group have created a series of podcasts to help newly diagnosed patients. Read More

The Cancer Survivor Guide Podcast Series

The podcasts listed below have interviews with local medical specialists and take you gently through what might be involved in the common treatment paths. We hope the podcasts below will be a helpful addition to the information patients receive from their treatment team.

Cancer Council Australia helpline:

In this podcast you will meet two of the nurses, Katherine Lane and Craig Morton, who work on the 131120 Cancer Council Australia helpline.

Surgery:

What are the surgeons looking for when they're operating on your cancer? In this podcast you will meet surgeons Miss Caroline Baker and Mr David Deutscher.

Chemotherapy:

What can you expect when you start chemotherapy? New treatments are more targeted with less side effects. In this podcast you will meet Dr Craig Carden and Oncology Nurses Elizabeth McEncroe and Heather McErvale.

Radiation Therapy:

What's involved in this high tech cancer treatment and what can you expect? In this podcast you will meet Dr Simone Reeves and radiation therapists Sharon Gibbs and Chris Hoyne.

Aboriginal health:

Great support services are available for the Indigenous community. In this podcast you will meet Emma Leehane, Aboriginal Support Worker and practice nurses Anthony Harrison and Sandy Anderson.

To visit the Cancer Survivor website please click here

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