Cancer and Population Screening Committee

Role

The Cancer and Population Screening (CAPS) Committee discusses and provides direction on:

• emerging evidence and proposals for new tests, technologies, and treatments in current screening programs.
• the need for new screening programs reviewed against the Population Based Screening Framework.
• supporting interactions between population screening programs and the broader health system.
• steps to support national consistency in program delivery and follow-up.
• efforts to continuously improving equity and access for screening programs.
• priority areas for investment in cancer control initiatives.
• emerging and best-practice cancer control measures including the development, endorsement, and implementation of national optimal care pathways for cancer treatment.
• strategic and best practice approaches to common program issues, including monitoring and evaluation policy development, implementation, communication, and recruitment strategies (in particular to address increasing participation in the programs and addressing under-screening).

Membership

The committee includes Deputy CEOs from each state and territory health department.

It is chaired by the Deputy Secretary of the Primary and Community Care Group at the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

Members have strategic oversight of population screening and cancer in their jurisdictions and have decision-making authority.

Where items pertaining to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health are discussed, policy direction will be informed by engagement with representatives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Australians.