Sydney Cancer Centre

The future facility

The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at RPA will transform cancer treatment for Australians in an environment thriving on discovery, research and uncompromising care, building on the services provided at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Lifehouse will offer the latest research and technology, advanced medical and complementary therapies, as well as emotional support and sanctuary all in one place with a holistic patient centric model of care providing services for public and private patients. Patient focused care has increasingly demonstrated better patient outcomes in addition to a more effective and efficient health care system.

We are not just about building a new facility; we are about creating a new organisation with the patient at the centre of everything we do. The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at RPA will provide uncompromising care for everyone affected by cancer. This is what drives us and underpins everything we do, a team of people working together to be source of energy, innovation, inspiration, knowledge, guidance and support.

The Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at RPA will combine all facets of clinical care; surgery, medical and radiation oncology, research, integrative medicine and support services for patients, their families and carers to ensure better outcomes for everyone living with cancer. When completed, the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at RPA will include a full range of ambulatory and inpatient cancer treatment services including:

Ambulatory clinics

Chemotherapy

Radiation therapies

Day surgery

Integrative medicine (includes evidenced based complementary therapies)

Research labs

Imaging facilities

Pathology collection

Psychosocial and support services

The Australian Federal Government has provided $160M in funding, in addition to the New South Wales Government providing the leasehold over the land on Missenden Road, Camperdown. Demolition of the site commenced in 2010 and the facility is due for completion in mid 2013.

The cancer services currently being provided by the Sydney Cancer Centre will transition into the new integrated Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at RPA.

The Future Facility
Message from the Chief Clinical Officer
Professor Michael Boyer AM

Health care is a rapidly evolving field and in order to provide cutting edge care, it is crucial that clinicians working in cancer treatment remain up to date with the latest in worldwide oncology research and clinical practice. Doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals regularly attend and participate in national and international conferences to share experiences and learn from others.

Last month I attended the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago, where over 30,000 health care professionals from around the world met to discuss the top scientific abstracts directly impacting cancer patient care today, and also setting the scene for the advances of tomorrow.

Stand out topics were the continued emergence of molecular genetics and testing for abnormalities within tumours to help guide therapy choices. As more is understood about the genetic changes that occur within each individual’s tumour, we move closer to the era of true personalised medicine. Presentations by oncologists and researchers leading in their respective fields covered the advancement of targeted therapies, early drug development and the latest treatment for older patients with advanced cancer.

There were also sessions about engaging patients using the internet, social media and patient portals – all subjects that have been under review at Lifehouse as we continue to refine our information, communication and electronic health record technologies. It is increasingly clear that engaging patients and their families in their care improves the quality of that care and leads to better outcomes, so a patient portal is being built into the Lifehouse Oncology Information System (known as LOIS). This will allow greater access for our patients to their healthcare information when Lifehouse opens next year. I look forward to being able to tell you more about LOIS in coming months.

Professor Michael Boyer AM
Chief Clinical Officer

The future facility

The Future Facility

Message from the Chief Clinical Officer