Background/Introduction:
The Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS) is the largest country health service in Australia servicing a diverse population of approximately 560,000 people across an area of 2.55 million square kilometres. The tyranny of distance and remoteness creates significant challenges for the delivery of cancer services to the patients across country WA, and the risk of dying from cancer is much greater in rural and remote areas.
A WACHS Cancer Strategy has been developed and details innovative initiatives across four strategic directions to ensure country cancer patients are able to access the right care at the right time and as close to home or on country as possible.
Purpose of presentation:
To highlight the challenges in providing cancer services in rural and remote communities and discuss the WA Country Health Service innovative approach to delivering cancer services for country patients into the future.
Methods/Intervention/Activity:
The WACHS Cancer Strategy has four strategic directions:
Innovative initiatives such as TeleOncology and TeleChemotherapy are key features in the Strategy and will significantly change the way cancer services are delivered in rural and remote areas. With the aid of technology, nurse led interventions and robust clinical governance, patients can receive more care safely in their own communities.
Results/Outcome:
The WACHS Cancer Strategy 2017 – 2022 was endorsed by the WA Country Health Service Board in November 2017, and implementation of the Strategy is currently in progress.
Discussion/Conclusion:
The WACHS Cancer Strategy details innovative directions aimed at increasing survival and improving the quality of life for country people diagnosed with cancer.