AMA supports Cancer Council's Daffodil Day
AMA Treasurer and senior oncologist, Dr Allan Zimet, said Daffodil Day is an opportunity for everyone involved in health care to focus on improving the integration of services for cancer patients.
Dr Zimet praised the work of the specialist cancer workforce but said their excellent work is too often undermined by a lack of integration of the many services needed by people with cancer.
"Patients need access to consistent medical, social and emotional care. But many are finding they're having to coordinate their own care," Dr Zimet said.
"People dealing with the trauma of cancer diagnosis deserve and should expect that they will get the best care at the right time for their illness.
"But the notion that the health system provides integrated and continuous care is a nonsense as the patient is often shuffled from service to service for screening and prevention, for treatment and rehabilitation, for recovery or for palliative care.
"Patients must be monitored closely, and that a health professional will be making recommendations and providing advice on the best options for care and treatment.
"While GPs coordinate patient care, information flow in the system can make this role very difficult.
"A patient may have had the cancer diagnosed at a screening program, then returned to their GP who refers them to a specialist, who may refer them for radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Along the way, they meet many nursing staff and allied health professionals as well as many doctors.
"The process can be convoluted and confusing for many patients," Dr Zimet said.
Data from AIHW show that the cancer workforce consists of many specialties:
- the diagnostic workforce which includes those members of the workforce working on screening programs
- the medical treatment workforce which includes medical and nursing professionals
- a palliative care and hospice workforce
- a paid and voluntary patient support workforce including counsellors and cancer support organisations
- a public health workforce including cancer registries, State and Territory cancer councils, other health promotion groups, Commonwealth, State and local government cancer control unit, and research bodies.
"With an increasing number of early stage cancer diagnoses, the Government must ensure that technology for diagnosis and treatment is well funded and that trained staff are available to provide services," Dr Zimet said.
CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761
Judith Tokley (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306