How will Southern DHB respond to the New Cancer Action Plan for New Zealand?

On 1st September the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan 2019 - 2029 was launched by the Ministry of Health - a welcome move to replace the outdated 2003 Cancer Control Strategy. The

plan outlines a national framework for a consistent and co-ordinated approach under the leadership of a Cancer Control Agency, within the Ministry of Health. There are four high level

outcomes:

● A system that delivers consistent and modern cancer care

● Equitable cancer outcomes regardless of where they live or who they are

● Fewer cancers

● Better cancer survival

What is important about this plan is that it focuses on systems rather than ad hoc approaches, provides a clear statement that the current inequities in cancer outcomes must be addressed, identifies that we can and should do more to prevent cancer, and that evidence based treatments following diagnosis are the best way to improve survival.

This comprehensive approach will help us to maximise our resources for the whole country.

More detail from the Interim Cancer Control Agency will come in the next few months. Here’s the link.

Southern District Health Board will need to take a long hard look at the way it currently provides cancer care, and start the integrated planning signalled in the new plan, that will be needed to establish a high quality ‘Southern Cancer Prevention and Response Service.’

Integrated planning is a major task that will require specialised health services planners, a multidisciplinary approach with effective local leadership and good clinical governance. Accurate timely data, robust information systems, and forcast plans for workforce development, equipment and facilities will be essential.

It will need to involve all health providers, as well as collaborating with communities and Māori to design the shape of cancer services for Southland and Otago. The services must be easy to access and relevant to different communities, if we’re to succeed at reducing the inequalities in cancer outcomes for Māori, who are 20 percent more likely to get cancer and nearly twice as likely to die from cancer as non-Māori. Incorporating whanau ora and matauranga Māori approaches will be important.

Cancer is now the leading cause of death in NZ and the number of new diagnoses is predicted to increase because of our aging population - so Southern DHB has to get this planning right.

There has been a lot of media interest in various aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment in Southland recently - and the role the Vining family has played needs to be acknowledged.

There is now talk of a charitable hospital in Invercargill. This will also require significant planning work to identify the level of need, develop a model of care, establish the necessary health services infrastructure such as diagnostic and imaging services to support the model of care, funding mechanisms, quality assurance and so on, as well as suitable premises and appointing staff.

High quality health services require a critical mass of population to be sustainable, and to attract the right staff. The skilled workforce necessary to run a charitable hospital is most likely to come from either the public hospital and /or the private sector. Staff will need to decide how to apportion their time and other workplaces will need to consider how a charitable hospital might impact on their workforce.

In my view if both a charitable hospital and an integrated ‘Southern Cancer Prevention and Response Service’ are developed at the same time, there is a risk of available resources being spread too thinly, fragmentation of service delivery, and duplication of effort.

It’s clear that Southern DHB has a lot of work to do to improve its systems and processes. The Cancer Action Plan provides a sound and comprehensive framework for moving forward and is a perfect opportunity to make much needed local improvements.

If elected I’ll be following this with keen interest.

VOTE # 1 Marion POORE for Southern DHB

• Authorised by Marion Rosalind Poore, 307 Morven Ferry Rd, Arrow Junction Queenstown 9371