The Australian government is committing $166 million for a first of its kind Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Programme, bringing total investment from the 2023-24 Budget to support the implementation of the recently released landmark Australian Cancer Plan to $735.7 million.
 
This investment will deliver improved cancer outcomes across Australia, from cancer prevention and early detection through to recovery, treatment, survivorship and end of life care.
 
This investment will have the potential to support the one million people in Australia today who are either currently living with, or have lived with cancer, and those who will be diagnosed in the future.
 
The Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program will improve equitable access to high quality, multidisciplinary and integrated cancer services for all people with cancer, irrespective of their type of cancer or where they live, through investment in an additional $74.5 million to support more equitable access to cancer nurses.

Building on their well-established model, the McGrath Foundation will recruit 100 new all cancer care nurses in health and hospital services across the country to support all people with cancer regardless of their tumour type. These nurses will be in addition to the existing 148 Commonwealth-funded melanoma, breast and lung cancer nurses who will work together to support all cancers by 2026-27, resulting in almost 250 Commonwealth funded all cancer care nurses by 2027, delivered through the McGrath Foundation.

An additional $21.2 million (bringing the total funding to $35.4 million over four years to 2026-27) to continue support for existing prostate cancer nurses is being delivered by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. The Government is also investing $16.5 million for a Cancer Patient Support Programme to fund initiatives that will drive better outcomes for patients in priority populations and those with less common types of cancer.