Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program

Support for all people with cancer to access to high quality and culturally safe care.

The Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program is a commonwealth initiative to partner with cancer organisations to deliver a service that ensures people affected by cancer have access to high-quality and culturally safe education, resources and support to help them navigate their care and living with and beyond cancer.

Aligned with the principles of the Australian Cancer Plan, this program is a key strategic pillar in the delivery of an integrated and multidisciplinary navigation model of cancer care that will improve equity of access and address disparities in cancer outcomes. It will also support the delivery of cancer care in remote and regional areas, through the delivery of telehealth support and navigation services.

The program will deliver three integrated service streams:

Cancer Navigation Service

Led by Cancer Council Australia to connect people with cancer to information and support relevant to their needs, this will be an enhancement of the current telephone service 13 11 20. This free, confidential telephone information and support service available to all people affected by cancer (people living with cancer, their families, carers and friends, teachers, students and healthcare professionals) with specially trained staff available to answer questions about cancer and offer emotional or practical support.

This service will provide information and support for patients and their families as well as referrals to:​

  • Cancer nursing services
  • Cancer non-governmental organisations
  • Primary health services
  • First Nations health services
  • Peer support, counselling and financial support (internal and external referrals)

Child and youth (people 0-25 years of age) support and counselling services for young people with cancer, their families and carers will be led by canteen in collaboration with Camp Quality and Redkite.

 

Cancer Nurse Service

Led by the McGrath Foundation to improve access to cancer nurses in hospitals/health services for people affected by cancer across Australia. The program will place 250 new Commonwealth-funded cancer nurses in health services/hospitals around Australia by 2027. This is in addition to the existing Commonwealth-funded prostate cancer nurses that the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia currently manage.

The Cancer Nurses Working Group is informing the development and implementation of the cancer nurse service to ensure it provides high-quality, culturally safe and evidence-based care that is equitable and accessible to cancer consumers.

Working Group members include representatives from the following organisations:

  • McGrath Foundation
  • Lung Foundation Australia
  • Melanoma Institute Australia
  • Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia
  • Cancer Nurses Society of Australia
  • Cancer NGO representatives (Melanoma Patients Australia and Myeloma Australia)
  • Consumer representatives
  • National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
  • Cancer Australia
  • Department of Health and Aged Care
  • Canteen

  

Specialist Support Service

Led by tumour-specific non-governmental organisations, this service will provide specialist information, support and advice tailored to the unique needs of people with particular tumour types. The existing telehealth services will be retained, with extra funding provided through the program to increase or implement extra services to a range of other tumour types and patient support groups.​
The three streams are being developed to connect and integrate with each other, both within the Program and with services provided by external providers.

CNSA is consulting on the planning and design of the program to ensure it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of all people with cancer. In this role, CNSA will represent the needs of the workforce and ensure integration into existing models of care. As the development of the program progresses we will keep members informed of any updates.

Check back here regularly for more information as it becomes available.