1. Which health professionals, services, family members, and support people should be involved in the care of a person with disability who has cancer?

Where relevant please be specific on what disability or context you are referring to.

2. Please share examples of healthcare services changing or using different referral pathways to better support people with disability to access the same quality of care as others?

The below (2a - 2g) reflect the steps within the Optimal Care Pathway. Please provide an answer where appropriate


2a. Step 1 – Prevention and early detection
Example: Offering different ways to have cancer screening such as provided at home or residential care settings.

2b. Step 2 – Presentation, initial investigations and referral
Example: The use of the Comprehensive Annual Health Assessment tool by general practices to proactively monitor the health of people with an intellectual disability.

2c. Step 3 – Diagnosis, staging and treatment planning
Example: Purposeful planning of disclosure of cancer diagnosis to the patient - not defaulting to carers or family

2d. Step 4 – Treatment
Example: Proactive planning for any personal needs of the patient during treatment sessions including equipment and/or usual assistance from a support worker for an example to use a toilet.

2e. Step 5 – Follow up care after treatment and recovery
Example: Review the disability-specific support needs of a person in the light of effects of cancer treatment and document in their care plan.

2f. Step 6 – Managing recurrent, residual or metastatic disease
Example: Specialist input to guide consideration of supported decision-making approaches where relevant.

2g. Step 7 – End of life care
Example: Disability specific pain assessment tools.

3. What effective approaches or strategies are being used to ensure people with disability have the same access to cancer services and cancer care that could be used more consistently across the health system?

We may like to contact you for further information, please provide an email address if this is acceptable