McGrath Breast Care Nurses Program

Overview

Since 2007-08, the Australian Government has supported the McGrath Foundation, through the McGrath Breast Care Nurse Initiative (the Initiative) to recruit, train and employ specialist breast care nurses (BCNs). As a result, the Initiative supported around 55,000 women with breast cancer from the inception of the Program to 30 June 2021. The McGrath Foundation funds 79 BCNs through its own fundraising, and the Commonwealth funds 102 BCNs (69.3 FTE) through the Initiative. On 7 January 2022, the then Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison, announced additional funding of $39.8 million over three years to the McGrath Foundation to continue funding the existing 102 BCNs and support an additional 12 BCNs (10.4 FTE), bringing the total number of Commonwealth-funded BCNs to 114 (79.7 FTE) by 2025-26. This funding is being made available under these guidelines. The objectives of the grant opportunity are to: Enable increased access for women diagnosed with breast cancer, their families and carers to a BCN from diagnosis and throughout treatment; Provide principal liaison between a woman diagnosed with breast cancer and her medical specialist, and coordinate and facilitate access to treatment and care services; Minimise the stress and trauma of a breast cancer diagnosis for a woman and her family and An increase in the number of Commonwealth-funded BCNs from 102 to 114 by 2025-26. The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are: Provision of physical (clinical), psychological and emotional support to women diagnosed with breast cancer, their families and carers in areas identified of high need; and Improved continuity and quality of care for women diagnosed with breast cancer. To view the grant opportunity documents, please select the red "Grant Opportunity Documents" button on the left hand side.