Key Issues

There are multiple barriers for rural and regional cancer patients to access services:

• The availability of quality and timely cancer care;
  • Financial burden of cancer and its treatment has a disproportionate impact on patients based on their geographical location;
  • Travel to receive treatments and the associated social burden;
  • Opportunities in communications technology still waiting to be harnessed to improve care and patient convenience;
• Rural and regional radiotherapy centres face challenges with recruitment and retention of workforce;
• Lack of effective coordination in service planning and workforce development for rural service provision.