The VCCC Alliance is thrilled to announce Barwon Health, Goulburn Valley Health and Latrobe Regional Hospital as the latest regional cancer centres to join its Regional Partnerships Program.
These partnerships create formal links between the VCCC Alliance and the regional sites, providing access to programs and initiatives that will boost cancer care, research, and clinical trials in the regions to benefit their patients and communities.
Seven regional centres in total have now signed an agreement, with Albury/Wodonga Health, Bendigo Health, Grampians Health and South West Healthcare also part of the innovative program.
The gap for cancer patients in regional and rural Victoria compared to their Melbourne-based counterparts remains a challenge for the sector, including a lower survival rate (65 per cent compared to 69 per cent in metro areas) and numerous barriers to clinical trial access (including time, cost and social disruption).
The Regional Partnerships Program was established to strengthen the delivery of cancer services and research in regional areas to close these gaps through joint efforts and collaborations. As part of the program, each regional site will receive funding for a Regional Partnership Officer to support local implementation of the partnership’s agreements.
