WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025
The WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 (PDF 6MB) was launched by the Minister for Health, Hon. Roger Cook in February 2020. The plan provides direction for WA to achieve a well-coordinated, consumer focused cancer control system and to improve cancer outcomes for Western Australians.
Priorities for implementation have been determined. These include a focus on the following areas:
- developing state-wide leadership for resolving cancer issues that span across entities
- improving access to supportive and psychosocial care
- improving care and its delivery for those surviving cancer or living with cancer on a long-term basis
- improving access and outcomes for Aboriginal people and those living in rural and remote areas
- improving cancer data collections and their utility
- find cancer early for those at increased risk of inherited cancers
- providing reliable information to empower consumers decision making
- embedding Optimal Care Pathways and multidisciplinary team meetings
- developing genomic and personalised medicine capacity for cancer diagnosis and treatment in WA
- improving access to clinical trials for cancer patients.
View the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 (PDF 6MB).
View the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 Priorities for implementation (PDF 5MB).
WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 implementation
A range of projects are undertaken by the Western Australian government in relation to cancer treatment and cancer care. Some of the projects include:
‘Understanding Consumers’ Needs for Cancer Information’ project
‘Cancer information needs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) consumers and carers’ project
- This project aims to better understand CaLD people’s cancer information needs and is a key priority of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 (PDF 6MB) to provide reliable cancer information to consumers (Priority 2, Strategy 6).
- Consultation was undertaken with 175 CaLD consumers and carers in 2022 and identified a range of information needs. For more information, visit:
WA Cancer Data Strategy
- The development of a WA Cancer Data Strategy will enable the WA health system to have a sustainable approach to cancer data infrastructure, data collections, data analysis and utility that is fit for purpose and is used to inform the delivery of safe, equitable and values-based cancer care.
Further information regarding implementation of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 (PDF 6MB) is provided via stakeholder Communiqués. To join the mailing list, email CancerNetwork@health.wa.gov.au.
Development of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025
Development of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 commenced in April 2019 in consultation with the WA cancer sector and its consumers. Development of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 was overseen by 3 project governance groups. These included a:
- project board made up of Department of Health and Health Service Provider executive members
- WA Cancer Plan advisory group made up of cancer experts
- WA Cancer Plan planning advisory group made up of service planning experts.
Consultation
Widespread consultation was undertaken to understand the current state and to develop the future state of cancer control and research for WA. The Cancer Network conducted extensive consultation with people affected by cancer, community members, leaders in cancer control, health professionals and researchers, as well as many government and non-government organisations.
Consultation included over 670 touch points of engagement through various activities including targeted consumer engagement, a cancer research forum, a cancer control forum, targeted interviews, and engagement of consumers.
Targeted consumer engagement
The Department of Health engaged with the Health Consumers’ Council to determine consumer priorities and perspectives on cancer control and cancer research in WA for development of the plan. Consumer perspectives were obtained through online surveys and have been portrayed through written stories and videos. This information informed the current state and future needs for cancer control and cancer research.
Research and innovation forum – cancer research
Widespread consultation was undertaken on Monday 13 May 2019 at the Research and innovation forum hosted collaboratively by the Department of Health’s WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network Policy Unit and the Research Development Unit. The forum set out to consult with the health and medical research and innovation sector to inform the development of the Health and Medical Research and Innovation Strategy and the research component of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025.
Approximately 200 people attended the forum with a quarter of attendees representing the cancer research sector. The forum provided an opportunity for a range of people to identify key strengths and challenges for cancer research in WA and key initiatives were considered in the development of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025.
Cancer control stakeholder forum
Consultation with consumers and the WA cancer sector was undertaken on 26 July 2019 and was hosted by the WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network Policy Unit. The forum set out to identify key strengths, challenges and initiatives for cancer control in WA in order to inform the development of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025.
Approximately 150 people representing consumers, public, private and non-government organisations, clinicians and service planners spanning the continuum of cancer control attended the forum and provided valuable input to the development of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025.
Cancer Control Forum summary of preliminary outputs (PDF 204KB)
Cancer control and research online submissions
Two online consultations were conducted between May 2019 to August 2019 to identify the key strengths, challenges and initiatives for cancer control and research. Approximately 82 submissions were received for the cancer control consultation and over 142 responses were received for the cancer research consultation.
More information
For further information please email cancernetwork@health.wa.gov.au
Last reviewed: 21-06-2023
Produced by
Health Networks