Timely detection of bowel cancer, which one in 13 people in NSW develops by age 85, is crucial for successful treatment and reducing mortality rates.
Healthy North Coast and the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) recently held a webinar focusing on the new Direct Access Colonoscopy (DAC) model of care within the Wauchope, Hastings and Macleay Clinical Network. The DAC project aims to provide people who have returned a positive faecal occult blood test with swift access to colonoscopy services.
The webinar was tailored for GPs and healthcare professionals in the Wauchope, Port Macquarie and Kempsey areas. It aimed to enhance their support for patients by ensuring faster access to colonoscopies and early intervention in bowel cancer cases. A recording of the webinar can be viewed here.
The webinar was presented by Dr Bruce Hodge, a renowned general, colon, and breast surgeon, and Andrew Wong, Project Manager for Patient Reported Measures and Value Based Care with the MNCLHD.
Dr Hodge explained the Cancer Institute NSW Direct Access Colonoscopy Model of Care and the referral processes and patient criteria specific to the Hunter Macleay Clinical Network DAC. Andrew Wong outlined the procedure and demonstrated where to find relevant information in HealthPathways, the online resource for healthcare professionals.
Dr Andy Williams, Port Macquarie GP and Healthy North Coast Medical Educator facilitated the webinar, saying it was a great opportunity to have Dr Hodge and Andrew Wong clearly explain the objectives of the DAC project.
‘There has long been a need to have people in our community who have a positive faecal occult blood test on screening be able to get their further investigations done in a timely fashion,’ Dr Williams said. ‘By removing the need to be seen by a specialist first before booking their colonoscopy, this will greatly speed up the process.’
Mid and North Coast Localised Pathways
manc.communityhealthpathways.org
Username: manchealth
Password: conn3ct3d