Current Action
Maintaining awareness and responding to emerging issues is an important component of what Cancer Voices SA 'do', in addition to our strategic, planned activities.
LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign & Summit (Aug 09)
Cancer Voices SA attended the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit and have committed to undertake activities over the next 12 months as our contribution towards the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign:
- Cycle for Cancer – Community ride
Establish a cycling event with cancer awareness as a key objective. - Australian aboriginal cancer conversations
Conduct cancer conversations with aboriginal Australians to understand their perspectives, cultural and other concerns and suggest solution for their communities ‘cancer outcomes’ gap. - Australian Cancer Consumers Charter
Develop and publish National Cancer Consumers Charter, in collaboration with other national cancer groups.
- On-line cancer advocacy in Australia
Pilot online 2-way communications for cancer advocacy in South Australia in 2009, with national roll-out in 2010/11
Antibiotic resistant bug (VRE) closes cancer ward (15 Apr 09)
Cancer Voices SA responded to news of a cancer ward closure due to a number of patients infected with Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE): RAH superbug can't be killed off. While political arguments focussed on future plans for rebuilding or refurbishing the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), Cancer Voices SA argued that VRE bacteria is present in all hospitals, so it is not only patients at the RAH that Cancer Voices SA are concerned about.
Good 'hand hygiene' is the best way to prevent the spread of VRE and something all cancer patients need to be vigilant about - to wash their own hands, and also to insist that staff wash their hands or use hand gel before touching patients or their intravenous treatment lines.
Cancer Voices SA also wish to see transparent reporting and ongoing monitoring of VRE and other serious multiple-antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria made available for all public and private hospital oncology areas.
Livestrong Global Cancer Campaign (19 Jan 09)
Lance Armstrong launches his LiveStrong Global Cancer Campaign, and already here in Adelaide, cancer sufferers are jumping on their bikes to do their bit. Channel 9 TV, A Current Affair, LIVESTRONG
CVSA Cycling Team - 123 riders in the Tour Down Under !!
Cancer Voices SA registered a team of 123 riders in the Tour Down Under Mutual Community Challenge Ride on the 23 January 2009. Riders helped raise our profile and community awareness by carrying the "Cancer Voices SA" team name on their jersey, to help us “raise a voice for those affected by cancer.” With 123 riders the CVSA Team was the biggest in the Tour's Community Challenge history. Contact info@cancervoicessa.org.au
Interested readers can see more on our cycling page.
Eleven kids in chemotherapy overdose (4 Dec 08)
Cancer Voices SA responded to the media release from SA Dept of Health, revealing that 11 patients at the Womens and Childrens Hospital received an overdose of chemotherapy drug Etoposide phosphate.
Radiotherapy under dosing incident (July 2008)
The SA Dept of Health revealed that 869 cancer patients received a radiotherapy dose up to 5% less than prescribed during a 2 year period, July 2004-2006.
- Ashleigh Moore on RAH radiation under dosage - ABC Radio
- Hospital radiation bungle widens - ABC Radio 11 August 2008
- More Patients in radiation bungle - ABC Radio 12 August 2008
The independent Delaney Review into the Royal Adelaide Hospital radiotherapy under-dosing incident made 14 recommendations for system changes to address issues identified during the investigation. (Find the report at SA Department of Health - Delaney Review, Sep 2008)
Cancer Voices SA Executive demanded action and raised consumer concerns over the incident at a range of levels including with the media, the Chief Executive of SA Department of Health and Professor Delaney.
The ABC Stateline program presented the ‘Cancer Bungle’ story on 15 August 2008, featuring interviews with Ashleigh Moore and Dept of Health Chief Executive, Dr Tony Sherbon.
Stateline SA, ABC TV - www.youtube.com.au/cancervoicessa
A second independent review was undertaken into the decision by the Royal Adelaide Hospital management, to not notify patients, Central Northern Adelaide Health Service, the Department or Health Minister, when the error was discovered in 2006. The Kowalick Report was released on 25 Nov 08. A further 4 recommendations have been supported by the government, although the report concluded that the response by the hospital's management was "reasonable" based on the information available at the time.
CVSA concerns were reflected in the final reports and recommendations eg. ensuring that all affected patients had been identified, need to address poor management of communication with the patients, and the importance of introducing a Dosimetry Standards Program to regularly, independently check all radiotherapy machines in public and private facilities to raise quality standard systems across the state.
Cancer Voices SA will continue to monitor implementation of report recommendations to ensure they are all implemented in full.
Complementary Therapies and Multi-Disciplinary Care Teams
Cancer Voices SA are seeking the integration of multi-disciplinary care teams (MDCT’s) and complementary therapies into cancer treatment and care pathways
- this work is being facilitated through CVSA members who are the 2 consumer representatives on the State Cancer Clinical Network.
The Chair of Cancer Voices SA is also the Chair of the Complementary Therapies Working Group within the Cancer Clinical Network.
