Advancing Shared Cancer Care Governance in Gippsland

Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer Service, in collaboration with The Writing Room, facilitated a Shared Care workshop involving executives, clinicians, and administrators from Bairnsdale Regional Health Service and Latrobe Regional Health. The aim was to map current cancer care pathways, identify strengths and gaps in care transitions, and co-design strategies to improve patient experiences and deliver safe, high-quality care closer to home.

Participants collaboratively mapped treatment and referral processes, identified common challenges, and used a fishbone diagram to explore root causes. Key barriers included communication gaps, workforce limitations, ICT system disparities, and patient transport and health literacy challenges.

A 90-day improvement plan approach was adopted, leading to the development of proposed policies and guidelines for shared cancer care, including protocols for admissions, referrals, documentation, and clinical escalation. These strategies will be supported by strong clinical governance and will be scaled to include other regional services.

This pilot, aligned with the Gippsland Regional Cancer Services Plan (2022–2027), lays the groundwork for more consistent, integrated cancer care across Gippsland and reinforces the importance of partnership-driven models in improving outcomes.