Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health

Cancer Navigation

Strengthening cancer navigation to help people move through the healthcare system with clearer information, better coordination, and greater supports for their health and wellbeing during and after cancer treatment.

What this means for the people of South Australia

This program of work supports people affected by cancer to access treatment and services that are easier to navigate, better coordinated, and more responsive to their individual circumstances.

Cancer care can be complex, and people can face many barriers accessing the right care at the right time, particularly when services aren’t well connected.

Why this work matters

Many navigation initiatives already exist in South Australia, but they are not always visible, connected or consistent across services and settings.

Without a more system-wide approach, people are at risk of experiencing confusion, delays and avoidable gaps in care.

The role of the South Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (SACCaN)

SACCaN leads a system level approach to cancer navigation by: building on existing roles and services, aligning navigation with other priorities such as Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs), data to inform personalised care, clinical trials and ensuring lived experience and clinical insight shape this work.

Who we are working with

  • clinicians across cancer services
  • consumers and carers with lived experience
  • Aboriginal health services
  • Local Health Networks (LHNs) and statewide services
  • system and policy partners.

This includes working closely with groups who face additional barriers to care, such as Aboriginal communities and people living in rural or remote areas.

What's happening now

  • Supporting the implementation of the South Australian Cancer Navigation Framework and Action Plan.
  • Co‑designing navigation priorities with clinicians, consumers and Aboriginal health services through the Holistic care and Optimising Patient Experience (HOPE) sub-committee.
  • Developing statewide indicators to better understand access, coordination and patient experience.
  • Supporting PhD scholarships in partnership with Flinders University.

Learn more

Related News

A HOPEful approach to cancer navigation in South Australia

A new SAC­CaN sub-com­mit­tee, HOPE, is focused on improv­ing can­cer nav­i­ga­tion, sur­vivor­ship and sup­port­ive care by strength­en­ing col­lab­o­ra­tion and con­nec­tions across the health system.

Read the full story

Transforming Cancer Care: Release of the completed Cancer Navigation Framework 

We are excit­ed to announce that the Can­cer Nav­i­ga­tion Frame­work has been finalised! Ensur­ing equi­table access to can­cer care for all indi­vid­u­als, this essen­tial resource is designed to enhance can­cer care acces­si­bil­i­ty through­out South Australia.

Read the full story

It’s official! We've signed a 3 year partnership agreement with Caring Futures Institute

After suc­cess­ful­ly col­lab­o­rat­ing with The Car­ing Futures Insti­tute (CFI) for the Can­cer Nav­i­ga­tion Project, we’re excit­ed to part­ner togeth­er for three-years, to dri­ve tan­gi­ble improve­ments in areas cru­cial to patient care and sys­tem efficiency.

Read the full story

Caring Futures Institute Partnership and Cancer Navigation Project

CFI and CEIH are part­ner­ing to devel­op an evi­dence-based state-wide can­cer nav­i­ga­tion frame­work and imple­men­ta­tion plan, led by con­sumers and clinicians.

Read the full story

Hundreds of South Australians help shape approach to cancer care across the state

Can­cer patients along with their fam­i­lies, health­care work­ers, and com­mu­ni­ty groups have been shar­ing their expe­ri­ences and ideas to devel­op a ​‘Can­cer Nav­i­ga­tion Frame­work’ that will help every­one to get the best pos­si­ble care.

Read the full story