Care Plus pilot projects in Southern Melbourne

Care Plus is a new care model supported by the Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS) that provides early palliative care to patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

The aim of Care Plus is to standardise access to early palliative care by establishing an agreed-upon trigger point for referral and providing appropriate resources to support clinicians in introducing Care Plus to patients and their families.

Care Plus focuses on supporting patients’ wellbeing by providing three additional consultations with a palliative care specialist, ensuring they, their families, and caregivers have the support they need.

Care Plus runs alongside the patient’s usual cancer care, integrating palliative and oncological care. This fosters confidence in patients and their families and consolidates relationships between care providers.

A pilot project for Care Plus is underway at Alfred Heath and is being developed at Peninsula Health.

Contact: smics@monashhealth.org