First Nations Cancer Coordinator Toolkit Supporting Culturally Safe Cancer Care

WCMICS has supported the development and release of a First Nations Cancer Coordinator (FNCC) Toolkit, designed to help health services establish and sustain culturally safe cancer care coordination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The toolkit builds on the FNCC pilot established in 2023 at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, the first dedicated role of its kind in Victoria. The FNCC provides culturally grounded, person-centred support for Aboriginal patients and families across the cancer care journey, working alongside multidisciplinary teams to strengthen communication, improve care coordination, and enhance cultural safety within hospital services.

Evaluation of the pilot confirmed the FNCC role as an important cultural educator, patient advocate and system navigator, supporting stronger connections between hospital teams, community services and Aboriginal health organisations. The role has helped clinicians provide more culturally responsive care while supporting patients to navigate complex treatment pathways.

To support broader implementation, WCMICS worked with partners and an advisory group to develop the First Nations Cancer Coordinator Toolkit, a practical resource to guide health services in planning, implementing and sustaining the FNCC role. The toolkit provides advice on role design, governance arrangements, and integration with existing cancer care services.

Early Impact
Since its launch, the FNCC toolkit has generated strong interest across the Victorian cancer sector:

• More than 70 participants from over 25 organisations attended the toolkit launch
• 100 printed copies of the toolkit were distributed at the launch event
• More than 50 toolkit downloads have been recorded to date
• Online engagement has included strong interest in the toolkit launch and project pages

The FNCC model has also attracted broader attention through presentations at national and international forums, including the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare (IFQSH).

Together, the toolkit and evaluation findings provide a strong foundation for scaling the FNCC role across Victorian health services, supporting more culturally safe, coordinated cancer care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.