Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
By John Berger
30 AUGUST 2023
I am honoured to have the opportunity to speak to the 2021–22 annual report from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. What began as a concept in a single room, run off the smell of an oily rag 74 years ago in the then Queen Victoria Hospital, has now grown into an internationally recognised cancer treatment centre with five locations across Victoria. Originally called the Cancer Institute, Peter Mac has helped countless patients and families of patients seek the best possible care they can – and best of all, right here in Melbourne. You do not need to travel outside of our great state to get the best care and attention in the world, and I reckon that is something we should be proud of.
In the annual report’s goals and achievements section there is a statistic that is completely remarkable. There is a 100 per cent positive patient response, and it is 100 per cent for all of the three quarters that it was measured in. But you cannot remain the best without a plan, and Peter Mac have a plan. In 2020 they outlined their five-year strategic plan, which details how they are going to continue to deliver and even improve on their world-class cancer treatments. Peter Mac is now halfway through its strategic plan, and the outlook is good. The report speaks to the performance and outcome metrics that Peter Mac judges itself on. This ranges from quality of care to advancements in technology and research, and I am proud to say that Peter Mac is hitting all these benchmarks. In the 2021–22 year Peter Mac treated over 40,000 inpatients, ranging from haematology to melanoma. They also completed 285,000 specialist appointments.
But we know that despite being lucky to have Peter Mac in the heart of our city, it can still be hard for rural Victoria to access these services. That is why I am proud that they are doubling down on their efforts to make their services more accessible to any Victorian that might need them. This includes increasing the number of telehealth appointments by 28 per cent, so no matter where you are in Victoria, whether you are a casual worker in metro Melbourne or a farmer in rural Victoria, you can still make that appointment and receive the world-class health care you deserve.
Beyond existing treatment regimes, clinical services and community engagement, Peter Mac has also led the way in the field of research. We are training the best and the brightest right here in Melbourne, and our advances are on the cutting edge, putting us at the forefront of treatment and the ability to commercialise this. It is a fantastic asset to our state, and it makes us the envy of the nation. The drawcard of research, teaching and commercialisation is attracting talent and students from right across Australia and right around the world. It helps to cement our role as the Education State, home to the next generation of scholars, researchers, academics and medical professionals.
But we know, particularly in the year of the Voice, how important it is to fight the ingrained and structural discrimination that many face when entering the medical profession and field, and Peter Mac is doing its part in ending it. Peter Mac’s reconciliation plan is helping to advance equity in health care and fighting the discrimination that many First Nations people experience in the medical profession. From extensive training to culturally sensitive healthcare practices and engagement with a consultancy firm, Peter Mac is leading the way. Through engagement with First Nations people, Peter Mac established the Peter Mac cancer centre’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory committee. We know that soliciting First Nations voices and walking with them is the best way to address their needs. Peter Mac has also embedded an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety framework in their workforce. As a proud unionist, it is great to see that their enterprise bargaining agreement’s leave policy acknowledges the unique cultural practices, traditions and needs of First Nations staff.
Peter Mac is on a solid path. They are continuing to deliver the best care at a time when Victorians need it the most. We all know someone who has been touched by Peter Mac in big ways or in small. That is why I am so proud to be a member of the Andrews Labor government, which is backing our healthcare infrastructure and workforce – that is backing Peter Mac in all the way. We have delivered a record $54 billion since coming to government in 2014, with a $4.9 billion boost in this year’s budget alone and with more workers, better services and the latest equipment. I know Peter Mac and hospitals like it right across our state will continue to deliver for all of us. I commend the report to the house.