The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network team were on the ground in Dubbo on 17 March for the Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN) Regional, Rural and Remote Networked Comprehensive Cancer Care Workshop, joining clinicians, researchers, consumers and national leaders to focus on what better cancer care looks like outside metropolitan centres.
The workshop provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from those delivering and experiencing care in regional settings. From lived experience to frontline clinical insights, the conversations reinforced the importance of place-based approaches that reflect the realities of regional communities.
Key themes included culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the power of strong cross-sector partnerships, and practical models of comprehensive cancer care already making a difference across NSW and beyond.
The afternoon co-design sessions shifted the focus to action, bringing participants together to shape ideas that will inform national approaches to networked cancer care.
For NSWRCRN, the workshop was a timely reminder of the importance of staying connected to both local voices and national reform efforts as we continue to build research capacity and support translation into real-world impact across regional NSW.