Throughout the pandemic, the VCCN has identified needs for a variety of advocacy and public information campaigns. Drawing on the expertise of the taskforce including the patient representatives, main campaigns to date include:
With many patients are feeling anxious about coming to hospital, concerned they may be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and worried they are more vulnerable to its effects combined with a reduction in patient consultations with GPs and in referrals to cancer specialists, there were real raising concerns that people were delaying getting care.
The VCCN Safe Cancer Care campaign featured a series of testimonial videos and ran in April 2020 to encourage patients to continue to attend appointments and get care.
The ‘Cancer Care Never Stops’ campaign features a series of 90-second videos scripted and voiced by Victorian doctors shared on social media and other digital platforms.
The videos are designed to address fears people may have about seeking medical care during the pandemic and to reaffirm that seeking medical care is one of the four reasons to leave home. Proof of a medical appointment is also an accepted reason for a person to be further than 5kms from home.
The Victorian COVID-19 Cancer Taskforce has launched a new campaign urging all patients affected by cancer to get vaccinated after the latest research revealed alarming statistics relating to the effects of COVID-19 infection on people with cancer.
Got cancer? Get vaccinated is a collaborative initiative driven by leading Victorian oncologists, cancer health professionals and patient advocates concerned by the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and confusion about the safety, risks and benefits of the vaccine.