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 Department of Health in relation to cancer treatment and care. Some of the Cancer Network’s projects include:

‘Understanding Consumers’ Needs for Cancer Information’ project  

  • This project was carried out by the Cancer and Palliative Care Research and Evaluation Unit (CAPCREU) at the University of WA and involved a broad desktop review and survey to identify the cancer information needs for the general WA population.
  • You can read the Understanding Consumers’ Needs for Cancer Information report (PDF 3MB) for more information on the project.

‘Cancer information needs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) consumers and carers’ project

WA Cancer Data Strategy

  • The Cancer Network began work on the WA Cancer Data Strategy project. However, since the release of the Australian Cancer Plan (ACP), the Cancer Network will instead work in collaboration with other stakeholders to assist the development of a National Cancer Data Framework (Strategic Objective 4.2.1). Contributions and findings from the project will help inform national cancer data priorities.

    Further information related to the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025 implementation is provided via stakeholder Communiqués. You can email CancerNetwork@health.wa.gov.au to join the mailing list.

    You can read copies of previous Communiqués below:

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.

Banner: Images from the Cancer research innovation forum

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)

Banner: Images from the Cancer Control Stakeholder Forum

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: 20-06-2024
Produced by

Health Networks