Positive step forward for Comprehensive Cancer Centre proposal after Health Minister accepts strategic plan

A new one-stop cancer shop in WA is a step closer after Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson endorsed the first of a two-part business plan for the $750 million project in Nedlands. An email from Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research chief executive Peter Leedman to stakeholders confirmed the “significant milestone” had been reached in the development of the WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre. The email said Ms Sanderson had accepted a strategic investment plan that would see the centre built as a stand-alone clinic at the QEII medical site. The facility will feature 90 multi-day beds, 40 same-day beds and chairs, outpatient services, research and education facilities and a cancer care coordinator centre. It is understood to be the first of two parts of a business plan — with Perkins now expected to finalise the case before presenting it to the State Government. The State will then decide whether to match $375m in funding promised by the Federal Government. The facility was a Budget commitment made in the final days of former Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s reign. It was designed to assist diagnosis and treatment, holistic care, innovative research, clinical trials and education. Mr Morrison committed half of the cost ahead of the 2022 election but, without a business case, then-WA Premier Mark McGowan said he would not match the investment. In correspondence obtained by The West Australian, Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson confirmed a decision to handover the State’s half of the funding still needed to go through the “appropriate budget processes”. She also said the decision to spilt the business case in “two steps” had been “mutually-agreed” with Perkins. “I am satisfied that the Strategic Investment Proposal delivers on its intended purpose of identifying a preferred option to form the basis of a detailed business case,” Ms Sanderson wrote. Despite the letter’s February 28 date, Ms Sanderson said she had accepted the investment proposal “prior to caretaker coming into effect” ahead of the March 8 State election. Professor Leedman told stakeholders while there was “still work to be done to enable the State Government to make a final funding decision” a green light for the design would now “allow the full detailed business case to be finalised”. “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,” he said. “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 QEII MC could spearhead the State Government’s efforts to turn the broader site into a world-leading biomedical precinct.” Perkins chairman John Barrington said the strategic investment plan made up a “significant component of the detailed business case”, labelling the project “life-changing” for cancer suffers. Mr Barrington said the institute would be communicating with and gathering feedback on their plans from stakeholders. A spokesman for the Albanese Government previously said it was was “fully committed” to delivering the centre to WA. “We’re working with the WA Government to deliver on this project. The Australian Government is co-contributing $375.6 million to the estimated $750 million total infrastructure cost,” he said.