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- Mcgrath Model of Care: Shaped by Voices. Strengthened by Care.
Mcgrath Model of Care: Shaped by Voices. Strengthened by Care.
In Australia, close to 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
As demand for cancer care continues to grow, ensuring equitable access to high-quality supportive care has never been more important.
That’s why we’re proud to share an important step forward. The McGrath Foundation has launched its new McGrath Model of Care, strengthening and standardising cancer nursing across Australia and expanding our nationally recognised approach beyond breast cancer to support people and their families experiencing any type of cancer.
This evolution of the McGrath Model of Care was shaped by those who know the system best through a collaborative co-design process involving more than 850 people with cancer, carers and clinicians. The McGrath Foundation gathered lived experience, insights and expertise to help shape the future of supportive cancer care in Australia, with a focus on helping people live well throughout their cancer experience.
For almost two decades, the McGrath Model of Care has underpinned the delivery of expert, evidence-based and compassionate support by McGrath Cancer Care Nurses, helping define what quality cancer nursing care looks like in Australia.
The new McGrath Model of Care builds on this legacy by clearly defining consistent standards of care across every stage of the cancer experience, with particular attention given to priority populations who face greater barriers to care.
As part of the Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program (ACNNP), it builds on established partnerships that support shared care and resources among ACNNP members, with a key goal of improving equity across cancer types and strengthening collaboration across the cancer care sector.
“The McGrath Model of Care ensures consistent equitable cancer care, no matter where you live in Australia”
- Kerry Patford | Chief Nurse
McGrath Foundation Chief Nurse, Kerry Patford, said: “The McGrath Model of Care ensures consistent equitable cancer care, no matter where you live in Australia. It’s about meeting people where they are and helping them feel supported, informed and connected at a time of fear and uncertainty.
“I met a woman living with blood cancer who shared her personal experience. She told us that during her darkest time, she wasn’t wishing for a cure, she was wishing for a nurse. She just wanted someone to come in, sit with her, talk to her and help her find her way through. Stories like this sit at the heart of the new McGrath Model of Care.”
Development is also underway on a dedicated McGrath Model of Care to support people experiencing haematological cancers, to be released later in 2026.
Thank you for helping make progress like this possible. Together, we’re working towards a future where every person experiencing cancer in Australia has access to the care they deserve.
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