The National Child Cancer Network is responsible for ensuring that Service Agreements are in place between the two Specialist Child Cancer Centres in Auckland and Christchurch and the fourteen Shared Care Centres located across the country.
Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Service Agreements
A standardised template has been developed that requires Shared Care and Specialist Centres to examine how they work together to provide seamless care for children with cancer. This includes: confirming and documenting that guidelines, services and standards of care are in place; describing local approaches to service delivery; and identifying service and professional development needs and goals.
The first stage of the process involves NCCN visiting a Shared Care Centre to meet with medical, nursing, allied health, management, NGO and support staff involved in the delivery of child cancer services. This site visit is not an inspection by NCCN. It is an opportunity for Shared Care staff to familiarise themselves with the Service Agreement and to review as a team, key aspects of their service delivery.
Site visits to Shared Care Centres provide a lot of the information that is needed to complete (and maintain) each Service Agreement. The Agreement is then reviewed via video conference by NCCN, the relevant Specialist Centre and the Shared Care team. This forum provides an opportunity for both Centres to reflect on measures they can take to maintain and improve their services – in particular communication and information transfer between the two Centres and other key stakeholders.
The agreements are held on an online platform, which supports the three yearly cycle/ review process. It also allows for real time updating of the Agreement, for example when there are changes in key staff, or there is a change to facilities or practice. If you are a member of a shared care team you can access the Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Agreement Platform by clicking below. Contact Elizabeth Ryan: elizaryan@adhb.govt.nz if you require a log on.