Another milestone for improved clinical trial access in Victoria

TrialHub joined Peninsula Health in opening its new Cancer and Clinical Trials Hub in Rosebud, which also marks the start of a partnership between the two to bring cancer clinical trials to the area for the first time.

Pilot program TrialHub works alongside partner hospitals to identify gaps and opportunities to then work together in improving or establishing their own clinical trial centre.

The model, funded by the Federal Government, works by having a metro hospital, Alfred Health, partner with regional/rural/outer metro hospitals to leverage its long-standing clinical trial portfolio.

Alfred Health has around 300 clinical trials open across 19 disease disciplines, more than half of which are cancer trials.  

Together, TrialHub and Peninsula Health will focus on the implementation of the teletrial model to improve access for patients, workforce development, upskilling of staff, and the identification of suitable trials for the region.

Currently, 50 per cent of Frankston Hospital’s cancer clinical trial participants are from the Rosebud catchment area.

Travel and time to Frankston Hospital had been identified as a barrier for accessing cancer care and participating on a clinical trial.

Anne Woollett, Director of TrialHub, commended Peninsula Health for reaching the milestone.

“The major focus of this partnership is workforce development, and the training and mentoring for regional/outer metro staff who are keen on building their expertise in clinical trials without relocating to a metro hospital.”

“Leveraging Alfred Health’s clinical trials excellence, we provide a range of unique education and training opportunities for staff to upskill in a range of clinical trial areas of expertise so they become independent in the long-term,” she said.

In 2020, the Federal Government awarded Alfred Health 24.6M to oversee, and lead, the new initiative to improve the access of cancer clinical trials in regional, remote and outer metro parts of Victoria.

Within its first year, TrialHub has partnered Latrobe Regional Hospital, Bendigo Health, Peninsula Health (Rosebud Hospital) with Mildura Hospital, Northern Hospital and Bass Coast Hospital set to join the program in 2022.