Victoria's cancer reform agenda began with A cancer services framework for Victoria (2003) which set out the following principles:
- multidisciplinary cancer care to ensure effective and efficient patient management
- maximum geographic access for patients and their carers and families
- high-quality and safe cancer services.
The following structures, processes and resources support optimal cancer care:
- integrated cancer services driving change at the local level
- optimal care pathways to guide the delivery of consistent cancer care for a range of tumour streams
- monitoring of care consistent with the optimal care pathways (the optimal cancer pathways data project)
- the development of a model for safety and quality in cancer care
- service model resources.
The framework has four service improvement priorities:
The Victorian Cancer Agency will support the translation of research findings to the clinical setting.