Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service (PICS)
The Statewide PICS aligns with the Victorian Government's broader cancer reform strategy through which metropolitan and regional integrated cancer services have been established to strengthen the quality, consistency and integration of cancer care throughout Victoria. PICS is primarily a partnership between three specialist Paediatric cancer service providers; the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH); Southern Health (Monash Medical Centre site) and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.PICS aims to ensure that all Victorian children and adolescents with cancer and their families have access to high quality, safe and effective clinical and psychosocial care that is well coordinated and provided in environments that are conducive to healing and coping, as close as to home as possible. Key elements of the PICS program include:
- Ensuring consistent clinical practice with reduced variations in care
- Establishing and implementing agreed standards of care
- Maintenance of professional expertise and sharing of expertise
- Improving access and enrolment in clinical trials
- Ensuring equity of access to medical, nursing, allied health and psychosocial care
- Improving the multidisciplinary and multicampus approach to coordinated care
- Establishment of a regional outreach program
- Ensuring a consumer focus with consumer engagement
- Sustaining the change