Aims:
There is substantial evidence that effective communication in cancer care can positively impact on a number of patient outcomes, including their quality of life, satisfaction with care, decision making and psychosocial distress.
The aim of the project is to enhance the communication skills of the cancer workforce within southern Melbourne.
Method:
An initiative by the Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS), the Cancer Council Victoria (CCV) and three SMICS health services, Alfred Health, Peninsula Health and Southern Health resulted in the development, adaptation and accreditation of a set of communication skills workshops encompassing discussing bad news, relaying a new diagnosis, how to stop active treatment, how to discuss end of life care and how to conduct a family meeting. Facilitators were trained to deliver the workshops utilising trained actors. A group mentoring program was trialled at Southern Health and an online registration and survey system was developed.

Results:
Nine facilitators were trained by the CCV to conduct the workshops and eighteen workshops are planned for 2012. To date eleven workshops and one mentoring session have been held, with 96 clinicians attending from the following disciplines:
• nursing 25
• allied health 28
• medical 39
An additional 7 workshops will be completed by October 2012.Interim results from surveys administered prior to, upon completion of and 3 months post workshop, indicate that the participants level of confidence in having difficult discussions has increased. Those who have completed a survey administered 3 months after attending workshops have indicated that they are utilising the skills learned in the workshop.

Conclusions:
The workshop development, facilitator training and the roll out of the workshops across the SMICS region has been successful in equipping participants with the skills necessary to effectively communicate with cancer patients. The impact on patients is yet to be measured.