Boost for local cancer testing

Two medical centres in Warragul and Neerim South will boost screening rates for some cancers and hepatitis over the next three months.
Latrobe Community Health Service in Warragul, and the Neerim South Medical Centre have partnered with Gippsland Primary Health Network to offer more screenings for bowel, breast and cervical cancers and testing for hepatitis B and C.
The project, Maximising Cancer Screening, will run until the end of June.
The two practices were among 19 in Gippsland that successfully applied to take part in improving screening and testing rates.
They will each receive $12,000 as an incentive payment to identify from data patients that have never been screened, or are under-screened, to facilitate learning workshops and network and connect with other practices involved.
GPHN chief executive officer Amanda Proposch said the campaign flowed from a Victorian Health Department report that revealed patients had delayed screening and diagnostic appointments during the COVID pandemic.
She said since COVID restrictions applied in the state from 2020 the number of cancer notifications fell by 30 per cent causing significant public health implications.
Ms Proposch said detecting cancer at an early stage increased the chances of successful treatment and improved survival, adding it was essential that general practices build skills and implement activities to proactively contact patients to encourage screening.