Cancer Australia

Cancer Service Networks National Demonstration Program

About CanNET

Cancer Australia has developed the Cancer Service Networks National Demonstration Program (CanNET), to link regional with metropolitan cancer services into single networks. CanNET will improve access to quality, clinically-effective cancer services throughout Australia, particularly for specific population groups that may currently have poorer cancer outcomes, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people living in rural and regional areas.

CanNET involves the Australian, state and territory governments working collaboratively with consumers of cancer services and primary, secondary and tertiary health professionals to improve outcomes through better coordination of existing cancer services. There are seven CanNET projects, one in each state and the Northern Territory. Together, these have the potential to provide coverage for more than eight million Australians.

CanNET is funded under the Mentors for Regional Hospitals and Cancer Professionals component of the Australian Government’s Strengthening Cancer Care initiative.

Key elements
There are three key elements to the CanNET program that will improve cancer care and outcomes:

• Active consumer involvement – to ensure health care providers are focused on addressing the needs of people affected by cancer, particularly those in rural areas.
  
  The development of Directories of Cancer Services that are consumer focused and enable the mapping of the range of services required by people affected by cancer across each of the Networks.
• Effective primary care involvement – to link general practitioners (GPs) in as integral members of the cancer control team.
  
  With increasing specialisation of cancer care, the GP’s role has been largely limited to prevention, screening, diagnosis and palliative care. GPs and other primary care providers need to be engaged at the most appropriate – and multiple – points across the cancer care continuum. Better engagement of primary care providers will ensure prompt investigation of symptoms, earlier diagnosis and timely referral to an appropriate multidisciplinary team for care planning and treatment.
• Multidisciplinary care – to deliver better care and support to people affected by cancer via an integrated team approach to cancer care.
  
  This happens when medical, nursing and allied health professionals consider all treatment options, including all of the potential benefits and disadvantages of treatment decisions, as well as personal preferences of the person affected by cancer, and collaboratively develop a care pathway that best meets the individual needs of each person. Rural health care providers will be able to more effectively participate in multidisciplinary care planning due to greater linkages with major cancer services and use of telehealth technology. Linking health care providers in different areas and across states/territories will also facilitate multidisciplinary care planning for people with less common cancers.

Expected outcomes for people affected by cancer

The establishment of cancer service networks will help to introduce a range of changes to ensure that all people affected by cancer:

• receive timely and best practice treatment, as close to home as is safe and practicable,
• have access to a Directory of Services, which will detail the multidisciplinary services available to help and support them throughout their cancer journey,
• have their care planned by a multidisciplinary team,
• have their psychosocial needs acknowledged and have access to appropriate levels of support,
• receive their care from suitably trained and credentialed health care providers, and
• feel more comfortable and informed about the treatment choices they make.

Locations, organisations involved and population coverage

JURISDICTION	LEAD AGENCY	NETWORK	POPULATION
NEW SOUTH WALES	Cancer Institute, NSW	Linking the Northern Sydney and Central Coast, Hunter New England and the North Coast Area Health Services into one network.	2.4 million
VICTORIA	Department of Human Services	Linking the Hume Regional Integrated Cancer Service & the North Eastern Metropolitan Integrated Cancer Service into one network	1.6 million
TASMANIA	Department of Health and Human Services	State wide cancer service network	476,481
SOUTH AUSTRALIA	Department of Health	State wide cancer service network	1.54 million
WESTERN AUSTRALIA	WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network	Link metropolitan cancer services with the Great Southern	60,000
QUEENSLAND	Queensland Health	Establishment of tumour teams linked into the major metropolitan cancer services	1.83 million
NORTHERN TERRITORY	Department of Health and Community Services	Territory wide cancer service network	202,793

For more information about the CanNET program, read the CanNET Information Bulletins.

CanNET Bulletins

• Number 1 The managed clinical networks model - February 2007 (PDF 62 KB)
• Number 2 Needs based approach to cancer care - September 2007 (PDF 207 KB)

The program was launched at the CanNET National Workshop in Adelaide on 3 September 2007.