The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research (the Perkins) is pleased to advise that we have now reached a very significant milestone in progressing the development of the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre for Western Australia.
The Perkins has received a letter from the WA Health Minister, who on behalf of the State Government, confirmed that the WA Government has accepted the Perkins’ Strategic Investment Plan and its recommendations on the preferred activity and location of the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
The Strategic Investment Plan, which comprises a significant part of what will be the detailed business case for the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre, was endorsed by the Department of Health and delivered late last year to the State Government.
In a very positive statement approving progress to the next stage, the State Government has commended the Perkins for the thorough and detailed work undertaken in the Strategic Investment Plan, which assessed eight different options for service delivery and location.
Click to read letter in new window.
The Perkins is very pleased that the Government now has a preferred option for the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre to initially focus on work in several cancer streams with strong existing research foundations – each to truly integrate basic and translational research with clinical care together with a core principle of equity of access.
The Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre will be built as a stand-alone facility on the QEIIMC campus and focused on integrated and embedded cancer research forming a strong foundation for the delivery of world-class clinical cancer care.
In line with the Strategic Investment Plan, Perkins’ role includes delivery of the project and Principal to the various design and construction contracts. This strategy will relieve the State of the delivery responsibilities for another major project alongside an already significant health infrastructure program.
The Strategic Investment Plan provides that once constructed the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre will include:
- Inpatient services including 90 multi-day beds (plus expansion for a further 30 beds), 40 same-day beds and chairs including chemotherapy and haematology, 6-8 intensive care/high dependency beds
- Outpatient services including 36 ambulatory care / specialist clinics, space for two radiation oncology bunkers, 4 operating theatres (plus space for 2 further theatres), 2 procedure rooms, and 7 imaging services (including CT, MRI and PET)
- Research and education services including expanded clinical trial beds (in addition to the existing 18 beds in Linear Clinical Research), a variety of wet laboratory and dry research spaces, function-specific embedded research units and a cancer tissue biobank
- Cancer Care Coordination Centre (CCCC) providing care coordination, patient navigation and patient information services – including virtual health services providing support for regional, remote and Aboriginal patients living with cancer, and working with WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Command Centre
- Other patient support services including urgent review and rapid access service, family amenities co-located with multiday beds, supporting a transitional palliative care function for high-acuity palliative patients, supportive wellness and survivorship services for ongoing care and support, research training including for commercialisation, underpinned by strong multi-disciplinary leadership and a culture of research.
With the Strategic Investment Plan recommendations now approved by the State Government, the Perkins can now finalise the detailed business case work to enable the State Government to make an investment decision to match the $375m already allocated for the project by the Federal Government.
The State Government’s approval will also now allow the Perkins to engage, on a preliminary basis, possible health and construction industry partners, identify site-specific issues and commence engagement for philanthropic support.
The Perkins will also continue to engage with the Department of Health to develop a joint governance arrangement for the delivery of public health cancer services within the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
The Perkins CEO, Professor Peter Leedman AO, said that while there is still work to be done to enable the State Government to make a final funding decision, the acceptance of the recommended option will now allow the full detailed business case to be finalised.
“Everywhere I go people ask about the progress of the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre because they understand how essential this is for the State,” Professor Leedman said.
“We are working with Government to ensure we get this right and finalise the business case over the next several months to enable the State Government to make a decision on funding at the earliest opportunity. In parallel, Perkins aims to complete a detailed Project Definition Plan by the end of this year to ready the project for procurement once the Government has made its final decision.
“In addition to the world-leading cancer research and treatment it would offer, the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre at the QEIIMC could spearhead the State Government’s efforts to turn the broader site into a world-leading Biomedical Precinct.”
Perkins Chair, Mr John Barrington AM, said the milestone of Strategic Investment Plan approval had been a significant effort.
“The Strategic Investment Plan that makes up a significant component of the detailed business case has been a collaborative effort and is a substantive piece of work that everyone involved can be proud of” Mr Barrington said.
“The Perkins thanks everyone involved in work on this life-changing project to date and commends the State Government, in particular the Department of Health and Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, for the positive and supportive work to date.
“We also remain thankful to the Federal Government for maintaining its commitment to the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre as it recognises West Australians should not miss out on world-first cancer treatment and care integrated with world leading discovery cancer research that is currently available in the eastern states but not yet available here in WA.”
“The Perkins will now be actively engaging with stakeholders to share the details of the Strategic Investment Plan with them and more fully develop the construction and operational planning for the project.”
