Equity of access to clinical care

Bendigo Health and Albury Wodonga Health to become VCCC Affiliate Partners

The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) is focused on improving cancer care for patients no matter where they live. The VCCC has signed new Memorandums of Understanding with Bendigo Health and Albury Wodonga Health to become VCCC Affiliate Partners.

VCCC Affiliate Partners will enable:

• Greater opportunities for collaboration across the Victorian cancer sector
• More local patients to participate in clinical trials, including early phase and personalised oncology trials
• Strengthened workforce capability through access to world-leading educational programs and fostering connections with peers
• Better access for patients living in regional areas to leading specialists at Melbourne’s cancer hospitals, without having to leaving their local area

VCCC Executive Director, Professor Grant McArthur says, “Patients with cancer living in regional and rural Victoria can be disadvantaged in terms of access to care and clinical trials – we need to change that.”

Building on current service delivery and reputation

Collaborations with both health services and VCCC Strategic Research Programs has been ongoing, with oncology teams contributing to several steering committees and working groups, as well as participating in professional development opportunities and workforce capacity building activities.

Clinical Director of Cancer Services at Albury Wodonga Health, Dr Craig Underhill, said the partnership with the VCCC would enable the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre to build upon its service delivery and reputation.

“This collaboration will really take our cancer service to another level,” Dr Underhill said.

“Currently, less than a third (27 per cent) of those patients recruited to a clinical trial live in regional or rural Victoria. Through this partnership, we will be able to increase local access to clinical trials.”

Access to specialist care right on the doorstep

The announcement also gained positive feedback from Victorian Government ministers and local representatives.

Member for Bendigo East and Victorian Minister for Transport, Jacinta Allan MP, said this partnership will help increase equity of access to cancer services for those living in regional Victoria, “We’ve upgraded the Bendigo Hospital – for this exact reason – to be able to provide local people access to specialist care right at their doorstep.”

“We’ve upgraded the Bendigo Hospital – for this exact reason – to be able to provide local people access to specialist care right at their doorstep.”

Jacinta Allan, MP

Victorian Minister for Regional Development and Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes MLC says, “Victorians deserve the best healthcare, no matter where they live. This partnership means not only will patients have peace of mind, but they’ll be able to stay close to home, rather than having to make the long trip to Melbourne.”

For more information about the announcement, see VCCC News.