Health and Ageing

Senior Australians — respite to assist employed carers

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	13.5	26.7	27.3	28.0

The Government will provide $95.5 million over four years to increase access of carers in paid employment and carers re-entering the workforce to respite services during working hours. This will involve increasing the funding to Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres and enabling day respite centres for older Australians to extend their hours of operation.

This measure will enable up to 5,000 carers in paid employment and carers re entering the workforce to access 480 extra hours of respite during working hours each year.

This measure was announced on 1 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment Recognising Senior Australians — their needs and their carers.

Strengthening Cancer Care — bowel cancer screening

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	2.6	14.6	16.4	-2.0
Related capital ($m)
Department of Health and Ageing	1.5	2.5	-	-

The Government will provide $43.4 million over three years (including $4.0 million in capital funding), to phase in a nationally-coordinated, population-based bowel cancer screening programme. This funding includes $7.8 million over four years transferred from the 2004-05 Budget measure Preventative Health — Bowel Cancer Screening, for which provision has already been made in the forward estimates.

This measure builds on the findings of the recent Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot. Bowel cancer can be treated successfully if detected in its early stages, and this screening programme will help improve rates of early detection and reduce the number of Australians who die each year of bowel cancer.

Screening will continue to be phased in and the results will be evaluated fully prior to the 2008-09 Budget, with the aim to extend this screening if successful on clinical grounds to all Australians over 55 and Indigenous Australians over 45. A re-profiling of funding from 2008-09 into prior years creates a saving against the forward estimates in 2008-09.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — Breast Cancer Network Australia

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2

The Government will provide $1.0 million over four years to support the development of the Breast Cancer Network Australia, which will assist with the further development and dissemination of resources to help women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

This funding will encourage support networks to help people with cancer during and after treatment.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — cancer research

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	4.8	4.2	4.2	4.3

The Government will provide $17.6 million over four years to establish a dedicated cancer research budget to develop and deliver a research programme that will be guided by Cancer Australia, in conjunction with the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The initial priorities for this funding will include screening programmes; early detection of breast and ovarian cancers; the application of emerging new treatments and technologies, particularly for bowel and prostate cancer; and improvements in cancer outcomes through better coordination of care and a multi-disciplinary approach.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — clinical trials

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	5.8	5.2	5.3	5.4

The Government will provide $21.7 million over four years to build on Australia’s capacity to conduct clinical trials for cancer patients. This investment will be managed by Cancer Australia, the new cancer agency that is to provide national leadership in cancer control, in conjunction with the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Clinical trials give the medical profession the opportunity to compare the benefits of different treatments in a practical, real-world situation. These varied treatments may include different medications, surgical procedures, radiotherapy, new technology, counselling and palliative care.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — developing training courses for cancer nurses

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	2.2	0.6	0.6	0.7

The Government will provide $4.1 million over four years to the Peter McCallum Cancer Institute to develop and implement, in association with other Australian cancer care institutions and professional colleges and associations, a training package for nurses to become specialised in cancer care.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — evaluation of initiatives

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	-	-	0.9	0.3

The Government will provide $1.2 million over two years from 2007-08 for an overarching evaluation of the initiatives announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment Strengthening Cancer Care.

The evaluation will examine the effectiveness of the initiatives in achieving their intended objectives and outcomes, along with assessing the overall effectiveness of the Strengthening Cancer Care Package.

Strengthening Cancer Care — mentoring for regional hospitals and cancer professionals

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	3.6	3.4	3.5	3.6

The Government will provide $14.1 million over four years to assist regional hospitals, providers and support networks to develop and implement cancer care mentoring.

This measure will establish a mentoring system linking major urban hospitals in each State and Territory with a number of regional and bush nursing hospitals in regional centres. It will encourage specialists and other leading health professionals from centres of excellence (such as the Peter McCallum Cancer Institute) to spend more time in rural and regional areas and to be available to confer with regional colleagues.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — National Research Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	0.3	1.7	1.7	1.8

The Government will provide $5.5 million over four years as start-up funding for a National Research Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases.

The Centre will conduct research to prevent asbestos-related cancer and find cures, guided by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — palliative care grants programme

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	5.7	5.7	5.9	5.9

The Government will provide $23.1 million over four years to fund a local palliative care grants programme.

The programme will provide grants through a competitive tendering process to help local groups, aged care providers and church and charitable hospices to provide better support to cancer patients and their families. Grants will be available in four streams: purchase of equipment and fit-out; support for pastoral care and counselling staff and training; step-down or transition to home services; and care planning by medical practitioners and allied health professionals. These grants will improve access to appropriate palliative care services in the local community, and encourage communities and organisations to implement their own local visions in caring for their members.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — professional development for cancer professionals

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	3.3	-	-	-

The Government will provide $3.3 million in 2005-06 to improve professional development for cancer professionals, counsellors and general practitioners.

This measure will focus on developing professional education modules in the latest treatments for priority cancers including breast, bowel and prostate cancer, and providing advice and counselling to people with cancer and their families.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — quitting smoking during pregnancy

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	2.1	1.1	1.1	-

The Government will provide $4.3 million over three years to encourage doctors, health workers and midwives to give advice to pregnant women — particularly Indigenous women — about the damage caused by smoking, and to assist these women to quit smoking and not commence again after giving birth. The initiative will also provide an opportunity to educate partners or family members on their role in supporting a pregnant woman who wants to stop smoking.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — skin cancer national awareness campaign

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	0.6	4.9	-	-

The Government will provide $5.5 million over two years to deliver a national mass-media skin cancer awareness campaign. The campaign will involve advertisements on television and in suburban and regional press, magazines, and non-English speaking and Indigenous press. Supporting materials will also be produced in various languages to complement the campaign.

This campaign will encourage personal action to prevent unnecessary exposure to ultra-violet rays, and help increase the early diagnosis of skin cancer.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Strengthening Cancer Care — Sydney Children’s Hospital Magnetic Resonance Imaging unit — Medicare Benefits Schedule eligibility

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	1.1	1.2	1.3	1.4

The Government will provide $5.1 million over four years to provide assistance to the Sydney Children’s Hospital by giving access to recurrent Medicare funding for the hospital’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facilities.

This initiative builds on the extension of similar Medicare-funded MRI facilities to three other children’s hospitals in 2003.

This measure was announced on 4 October 2004 as part of the Government’s election commitment, Strengthening Cancer Care.

Treatment of breast cancer — continued funding for Herceptin

Expense ($m)

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Department of Health and Ageing	-	-	-	-

The Government will provide $80.0 million over two years to continue to fund Herceptin, a drug used to treat metastatic breast cancer. Funding beyond 2006-07 will be considered following a further review of the Herceptin programme.

This measure involves funding of $38.1 million in 2005-06 and $41.9 million in 2006-07. Provision for this funding has already been included in the forward estimates.

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