Cancer care decision reversed after Geelong doctors’ outrage

Geelong GPs have successfully fought a funding cut around cancer care.

The WVPHN has reversed its decision to cut GPs from MDMs after pushback from Geelong GPs including Dr Deb Harley, left, and Dr Elise Davey (director Kensington Hill Medical Centre). Picture: Alison Wynd

       

The Western Victoria Primary Health Network has reversed its decision to pull funding for GPs to attend multidisciplinary cancer meetings (MDMs), after local doctors pushed back.

Practitioners overseeing cancer patient’s treatment meet at MDMs to create an individually-tailored cancer treatment plan.

At these meetings, a GP acts as a stand-in for the patient’s own treating GP, communicating the meeting’s contents back to their regular clinic.

In May the WVPHN announced plans to pull funding for GPs attending MDMs.

But doctors who negotiated with the PHN said after pushback the network had not only reversed its decision, but was now looking to expand GPs’ presence at the meetings to other regions too.

WVPHN chief executive officer Craig Wilding said the PHN was in ongoing discussions with Geelong GPs and health organisations on the preferred model for the multidisciplinary cancer care meetings going forward.

“Ultimately, what we all want is a patient centred approach ensuring a close and informed bond between the patient, their primary care practitioner and their treating specialist,” he said.

Mr Wilding said these discussions would include co-design workshops, involving GPs and health care organisations, and would also look at alternative and sustainable collaborative models that would keep treating GPs closely involved in the care of their patients.

GPs Dr Deb Harley, left, and Dr Elise Davey (director Kensington Hill Medical Centre). Picture: Alison Wynd

Deb Harley has been a GP representative at MDMs for more than two decades.

She said negotiations with the WVPHN had been very promising, with a reversal of their initial decision as well as talks of potentially expanding the presence of GPs at MDMs in other regional areas.

“The PHN was willing to listen to us, and they fully appreciated the work we do,” she said.

Dr Harley said local GPs were also grateful for the strong support from specialists who attend MDMs.

“We’d love to see it rolled out in other areas in other regions … for equitable access in regional areas,” she said.

Dr Harley said GPs were an important link between MDMs and the patient’s treating doctor.

MDMs are organised through the Barwon Region Integrated Cancer Service at Geelong hospital after a patient is diagnosed with caner.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as Cancer care decision reversed after Geelong doctors’ outrage