Department of Health

Key messages

  • Integrated Cancer Services (ICS) are Victoria's cancer service improvement networks
  • There are nine ICS across Victoria. Eight are focused on adult cancer care and one supports paediatric cancer care.
  • The ICS work collaboratively with people affected by cancer and those delivering cancer care to develop, implement and evaluate improvement activities to address the Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024 priority action areas.

The Victorian Government established the Integrated Cancer Services (ICS) in 2005 to promote the development of a cohesive, integrated and multidisciplinary approach to the provision of cancer care. There are eight geographic based ICS (three metropolitan and five regional), and one statewide paediatric ICS with a focus on improving outcomes for children with cancer and their families. Collectively they are referred to as the VICS.

The VICS bring together a range of stakeholders including clinicians, researchers and consumers to influence the development, implementation and evaluation of cancer service improvement activities. These activities address three of the five priority action areas from the Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024 to ensure that:

  • Victorians know their risk and have cancers detected earlier
  • Victorians with cancer have timely access to optimal treatment
  • Victorians with cancer and their families live well.

In addition to work in their local regions, the VICS also work together collaboratively on priorities identified in the Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024. The VICS implementation planExternal Link provides a framework for VICS priorities over 2021-22.

A priority for the VICS is to implement the optimal care pathways for cancer to reduce unwarranted variation in cancer treatment as well as improve efficiency, equity and patients' experience of care.

For information about the VICS and each individual ICS, please access the links below:

Victorian Integrated Cancer ServicesExternal Link

Reviewed 18 January 2023

Health.vic

Contact details

Cancer Support, Treatment and Research Department of Health

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