Working with ACCHOs to continue to improve cancer-related health outcomes across prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and support.

After the May 2023 Federal Budget, NACCHO received funding to coordinate the delivery of the Improving First Nations Cancer Outcomes Program with the ACCHO sector from 2023-2027. The purpose of the funding is to improve outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Communities across the cancer journey. The Program will be framed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Plan, with a focus on being consistent with all four of the Priority Reform areas of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

The NACCHO Cancer Program will lay the foundation for scalable, national solutions to improve cancer related health outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Program will be tailored to local needs and priorities to achieve equitable outcomes across cancer journeys for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at both the individual and Community level.

Supports will include:

• upskilling and strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce through the creation of jobs to support Communities and provide culturally safe cancer support services in areas of high cancer burden
• establishing rural and remote low-risk chemotherapy clinics to offer Community members treatment on Country and closer to home
• supporting the ACCHO sector to develop and deliver tailored health promotion activities and communication campaigns that meet the needs of Communities

Outpatient chemotherapy
A key component of the NACCHO Cancer Program is the development of a model of care and implementation strategy for outpatient chemotherapy. This involves the development of an evidence review which will inform operational and clinical considerations of teleoncology in ACCHO settings, in addition to consultations with ACCHOs and key stakeholders to ensure a model of care and implementation strategy is place based and culturally relevant to communities.

Establishing and enhancing these supports will require NACCHO and the ACCHO sector to coordinate, co-design, and deliver cancer programs in prevention and screening, diagnosis, treatment, and support, that are culturally safe and holistically focused on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait cancer patients and their families.