OVERVIEW 2021
During 2021, All.Can Greece, in close collaboration with Piraeus University and Athens University conducted two major white papers concerning:
- The delays in starting radiation therapy of cancer patients: Among other the White Paper includes a detailed mapping of public and private sector radiation therapy services in Greece and policy recommendations for their operational optimisation.
- The delays between time of initial diagnosis and time to start systemic or other cancer treatment, encompassing the current inefficiencies resulting in delays and policy recommendations.
Both papers covered a large gap in tackling current inefficiencies and main causes of delays in cancer care. The two White Papers also include sustainable policy recommendations and proposals, that were taken into account and gradually implemented during 2021 by the Ministry of Health. Following the implementation of the All.Can Greece recommendation for the expansion of working hours of radiotherapy departments, a remarkable reduction of delays in radiotherapy starts has been noticed.
The two White Papers, were presented at the All.Can Greece July 2021 scientific webinar entitled “The Role of Data in Cancer Care” , at a press conference, held in October, and finally in a video that was launched in November 2021.
After a prolonged consultation between All.Can Greece members, the Steering Committee (SC) prepared a detailed report about the major problems and obstacles faced by cancer patients and clinicians as well as about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report was submitted to the Ministry of Health in March 2021. The SC had a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Health Mr. V. Kontozamanis, who confirmed the government’s commitment to improve cancer care after due consideration of the policy recommendations and suggestions contained in the submitted All.Can Greece report.
Furthermore, All.Can Greece was invited to present its activities at the Hellenic Congress for Economics and Health Policies, on December 15, 2021. All.Can Greece was granted 90’ to present, in a session titled “Three Years All.Can Greece”, the achievements of its first three years and next steps ahead. During the session, SC members presented the actions and initiatives of All.Can Greece during the last 3 years, the two major surveys about the delays in the start of cancer treatment and delays in radiotherapies, while Mr. Eduardo Pisani, CEO of All.Can International presented the new Roadmap of the organization.
Lastly, continuing its role as a major oncological stakeholder, responsible for providing meticulous and detailed information about all matters concerning health & cancer treatment governance, All.Can Greece organized in December 2021 a webinar titled “Quality & Safety of Health Care Services in Oncology Hospitals”. The webinar showcased the chronic problem of quality and safety of cancer care delivery in the health care system that has been dramatically deteriorated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Members from occupational health & safety stakeholders (e.g ODIPY, EKPA) presented major inefficiencies and barriers to patient safety and quality of services provided in Greece, as well effective policy recommendations for the improvement of the current policies and the tackling of inefficiencies that have led to the existing problems and omissions.
OUTLOOK 2022
Following the implementation of the 2021 Action Plan and given that All.Can Greece has already stood out as one of the most reliable interlocutors in cancer care field in Greece, the Greek national platform will remain focused on its basic and foremost objectives, that is the improvement of cancer care & treatment during all stages of the disease, the improvement of efficiency of health systems and the access of all cancer patients to state-of-the-art treatment and care.
More specifically, All.Can Greece’s main objectives will include;
- The improvement of the frequency of meetings between the major oncological & health stakeholders and the decision makers at both national and transnational level
- The recording of new and existing inefficiencies and obstacles in cancer care
- The promotion of research & innovation, of the use of AI and big data and the digitisation of healthcare
- The provision of sustainable policy recommendations towards the improvement of cancer care in all stages
- The dissemination of best practices both from Greece and abroad
- The information and awareness raising of patients, patient advocacy associations, health professionals, medical unions & companies, public health stakeholders as well as all relevant stakeholders about the latest developments in the field of cancer care and treatment
In this context, All.Can Greece, based on the previous years’ achievements will continue to implement actions with increased added value for both cancer patients, health care professionals and the health care system. In order to achieve its objectives, All.Can Greece will continue its multifaceted and multilevel actions that will comprise;
The scientific webinars and informational events concern:
- information and recording of the current developments in cancer care
- the facilitation of the decision-making processes and the improvement of cancer care & treatment governance
- the integration of latest innovative developments in health care & the promotion of multidisciplinary coordination of all stakeholders
- the provision of sustainable policy recommendations based on the surveys and policy papers already published by both All.Can Greece and All.Can International
The informational All.Can Greece events in major oncology hospitals aim to:
- present and inform the scope, objectives, and vision of All.Can
- enhance the exchange of views and cooperation between major cancer stakeholders and the expansion of All.Can Greece initiative
- promote wider and more efficient coordination between health & cancer care stakeholders in local, regional, and national level
- Raise awareness and inform about the value of research and innovation inn cancer care
- inform about best practices for the improvement of cancer care
The continuation of the direct consultation that All.Can Greece has successfully initiated with the country’s major health and social policy makers and mainly with the Ministry of Health, through:
- the participation of major governing and decision-making stakeholders in All.Can Greece’s events and initiatives
- the direct communication with the aforementioned decision makers, through reporting and special meetings