Welcome to the network's second newsletter which also coincides with the launch of our new website www.midlandcancernetwork.org.nz. The website has links to national and regional cancer control stakeholders, details of our work groups and current initiatives. Special thanks to our web developers at Digitalstream and Waikato DHB's Viscom for their expertise.

Please contact us if you would like to share your stories about cancer-related initiatives in future newsletters.

Since our last newsletter we have relocated to new facilities. Please note our new contact details below or check individual staff contacts at http://www.midlandcancernetwork.org.nz/page/pageid/2145842973/Contact_Us. This link also contains a helpful map of how to find us.

 

Team changes

• Jenna Hayward joined us in late January as Personal Assistant and replaces Claudia Romano who is on maternity leave.
• Margie Hamilton has been appointed to a permanent Service Improvement Facilitator position. She has worked as a project officer with the team since April 2008.
• Kay Berryman has been appointed as a casual part time (0.2 FTE) Service Improvement Facilitator starting 6 April 2009.
• Mariah Hudler resigned in January to take up a position in Health Waikato.
• Linda Vincent joined the team in January in a fixed term Service Improvement Facilitator position but sadly and unexpectedly died later that month. We extend our condolences to Colin and her family.
• Sharon Hardaker has accepted the Service Improvement Facilitator - Waikato Palliative Care and Cancer position starting 6 April. This position is fixed term until 30 June 2010 and will be based with the Midland Cancer Network.

You are welcome to share this newsletter with your team members and other interested people.

Jan Hewitt
Network Manager

Upcoming events

25 March - Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology and Haematology Service Study Day. See our home page for details.

8 April - Midland Cancer Network Palliative Care Work Group meeting 9am to 1pm. International guest speaker is Deborah Murphy who holds the following positions:

• Directorate Manager / Clinical Nurse Specialist - Specialist Palliative Care Team, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, United Kingdom and;
• National Lead Nurse Liverpool Care Pathway - National Health Service End of Life Care Programme, United Kingdom and;
• Associate Director Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool, United Kingdom.

28 April - Midland Cancer Network Executive Group planning workshop 9am to noon.

UPDATES ON OUR CURRENT WORK PROGRAMME

Midland Cancer Network Strategy Plan

We have completed the review of regional progress toward meeting the goals and actions in the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy Action Plan (2005). We wish to thank all stakeholders who contributed to this review. We are now in the process of identifying priorities for the network and the Midland Cancer Network Executive Group will workshop these at their April meeting.

Midland Cancer Control Health Needs Assessment

The Health Waikato Population Health team, on behalf of the network has completed a draft document which has been circulated to key stakeholders recently. These findings will inform the priorities within our Midland Cancer Network Strategy Plan. Dr Anita Bell will facilitate discussion on the findings of the health needs assessment at the Midland Cancer Network Executive Group's workshop on 28 April.

We would like to thank Dr Anita Bell, Jacqui Henry, Victoria Johnston, Amy Thomsen and Ellerie Bennett for their efforts in producing this comprehensive report.

Consumer and carer participation
Two consumer and carer representatives from Hamilton and Rotorua are currently completing the CancerVoices consumer representatives training.

We are looking to increase the number of people available to provide a consumer or carer perspective in our work.

Consumers are people who have had personal experience of cancer and cancer services.

Carers are family and friends who have provided support and/or unpaid care to a person with cancer.

Our new website has further information about these roles and an expression of interest form that is able to be completed either electronically or printed off and posted to us. The link is http://www.midlandcancernetwork.org.nz/page/pageid/2145842979/Consumer_Participation  

Reducing inequalities project

The first phase of the reducing inequalities project has finished with the following baseline work completed:

• Identification of regional structures for Māori, Pacific people and refugees and new migrants that form a governance and participation framework
• stocktake of Māori and Pacific health providers and identification of Māori cancer-specific services
• review of participating district health boards' health needs assessments with respect to cancer control and inequalities
• stocktake of national, regional and local inequalities research
• review of regional progress in implementing inequality outcome areas from goals one to six of the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy Action Plan.

Findings will be incorporated into the Midland Cancer Network Executive Group planning workshop and inequalities priorities identified.

Patient mapping - lung cancer

Patient and carer interviews are now underway in each of the three DHBs. If you know of a person who might wish to participate in these please contact Loryn Scanlan on 07 859 9154 or scanlanl@waikatodhb.govt.nz.

Colonoscopy project

The Midland Cancer Network sponsored six people from Bay of Plenty, Lakes and Waikato to attend Lean Healthcare Program training. Their selected project will map the colonoscopy pathway for patients in the six hospitals that carry out colonoscopies and implement areas for improvement which result in a co-ordinated, seamless and responsive journey for the patient.

The project training is due for completion this month and the next newsletter will present findings.

Palliative Care

Each DHB has supported the implementation of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) in their districts. Lead LCP facilitators are:

• Bay of Plenty: Shona Walford
• Lakes: Suzie Kuper
• Waikato: Peter Kimble

Progress with education for generalists

Sandi Haggar, clinical nurse specialist, is leading the development of a palliative care education framework and programme with specialist palliative care stakeholders. The next meeting is 11 March 2009.

Midland Cancer Network Information Systems Project

The purpose of this project is to identify the network's information system requirements to achieve our work programmes. Jeff Sutherland of Simpl has been contracted to manage this project from March to June 2009. Thanks to Alan Grainer, Chief Information Officer, Waikato DHB, for his support for the project.

Implementation Planning for National Guidelines

In February 2009 the regional cancer networks (with Midland as lead), the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, the Melanoma Network (MELNET), the Health Sponsorship Council, the Cancer Society of New Zealand and the New Zealand Guidelines Group collaborated on a proposal for Guideline Implementation Plan Development and were successful as the provider. The guidelines involved are:

• Guidelines for the Management of Early Breast Cancer
• Clinical Practice guidelines for the Management of Melanoma in Australia and New Zealand
• Access and Referral (Suspected Cancer) Guidelines.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Waikato DHB Best of Health Awards 2008

Four finalists in these awards held in November have a direct impact on the cancer continuum in Midland.

Double Balloon Enteroscopy

This innovative procedure was commended in the excellence in treatment category at the National Innovation Awards and won the innovation section in the Waikato Best of Health Awards.

This pioneering new procedure is reducing the need for surgery, cutting the waiting time for diagnosis and reducing the length of time a patient spends in hospital. A double balloon enteroscopy enables doctors to view and take samples of a patient's small bowel, allowing them to diagnose cancers and other causes of intestinal bleeding without performing invasive surgery. 70% of patients receive a diagnosis and for 30% the procedure shows that they have no disease of the small bowel thus avoiding the need for more invasive surgery in order to make a diagnosis.

Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Haematology Service

A finalist in the continuous improvement for clinical service delivery section.

This new service reflects an innovative approach to meet the needs of those aged 14-24 who have cancer. The youth friendly model of care provides care coordination, advocacy, education and support to adolescents and young adults and their families.

Nurse-led clinic - breast cancer care, support and assessment.

A finalist in the continuous improvement for clinical service delivery section.

This new clinic aims to ensure women and their families feel supported, informed and receive optimal care during the breast cancer journey. Invitations go to women with breast cancer referred by a surgeon to the Waikato Hospital oncology department to attend a clinic where they can meet with a breast cancer nurse specialist to discuss the impact of cancer and treatment on their lives, explore their understanding of treatments available and alleviate any fears or misconceptions. Feedback from women has been positive.

Hepatitis C management in the prison setting 

A finalist in the collaboration section.

Prisoners are a key risk group for transmission of hepatitis C with a rising prison population and up to 25% carrier rate. Waikato Hospital Hepatitis Clinic worked closely with prison management and two senior prison nurses to develop this shared care model that enabled prisoners to receive their full treatment in the prison setting thus increasing the rate of cured infections, reducing the transmission rate and the potential for cancer.

NEWS

New Cancer Society resource

The Cancer Society has developed a new resource about sun protection for outdoor workers and their employers.

• SunSmart Booklet - a guide for  employers about sun protection and outdoor work
• Cancer Brochure - advice about sun protection for outdoor workers
• Sunsmart Poster - for the workplace
• Spot the difference - a brochure about the detection of skin cancer
• sample policy for a SunSmart workplace

For more information go to www.cancernz.org.nz

South Island Inequalities Seminar

In December 2008 Midland Cancer Network staff attended this Christchurch-based seminar by videoconference together with others at seven video-linked sites. The presenters were Dr Donna Cormack and Dr Melissa McLeod who are part of the Eru Pōmare Māori Health Research Group at the University of Otago, Wellington; Dr Sarah Hill and Dr Diana Safarti who are public health physicians and senior researchers with the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington.

Topics included:

• Ethnic inequalities in cancer and cancer treatment
• Issues in accessing cancer services for Māori patients
• System-level factors affecting equity of cancer care.

Regional Lung Meeting

This biennial conference was held in November and brought together clinicians from around the region. Presentations were related to current clinical issues.

Clinicians expressed a desire to meet more regularly. It was also agreed that all patients with lung cancer will be referred to the chest conference which would enable a more accurate picture of the total patient population to be understood. Clinicians also sought clarity around the authorisation and management of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) - Computerised Tomography (CT) scans.