We aim to improve the experience and delivery of healthcare for patients accessing BMT+CT services across NSW.
We have a broad list of priorities:
- Maintain the centralised quality management system for the NSW blood and marrow transplant and cellular therapies programs. Promote the adoption of international accreditation requirements across cell collection, laboratory processing and clinical transplantation.
- Support the continued education and professional development of BMT+CT clinicians, scientists and allied health professionals through webinars, forums, working groups and publications.
- Co-design education, communication resources, data collection and transition pathways for post-treatment long-term follow up with patients and carers, clinicians and non-government organisations.
- Support the central implementation of cellular therapy treatments, including the development of central policies and procedures, outcome data review and onboarding of translational sites to provide commercial CAR-T cellular products.
Our structure
The BMT+CT Network is led by the network manager and the network council. They are supported by four working parties.
BMT+CT Network Council
The BMT+CT Network Council has representatives from the 12 adult programs, two paediatric units, partner organisations and patients.
The council’s role is to:
- provide advice and strategic direction on the provision of BMT+CT in NSW
- provide the ACI with expert advice on BMT+CT
- assist in communicating the ACI initiatives to the network
- promote the implementation of new and emerging cellular therapies across the network
- promote clinical and quality system initiatives and projects.
Professor David Gottlieb
Medical Co-Chair
Johanna Guest
Co-Chair
Working groups
Laboratory working group
The condition and viability of haematopoietic and immune effector cells is crucial to treatment efficacy and central to the long-term health outcome for BMT+CT patients. The processing, storage and release of these products is fundamental in the continuum of care.
The laboratory working group is represented by all eight NSW BMT+CT laboratories with guest membership from the ACT. The group is charged with:
- facilitating best practice across all BMT+CT laboratories
- advancing the ‘one service on multiple sites’ principle
- providing a forum for BMT+CT scientists to have input into the BMT+CT Network.
BMT+CT nurses group
The nurse group facilitates collaboration between the BMT+CT program across NSW to promote evidenced-based practice and high standards of nursing care for patients undergoing blood and marrow transplants and/or cell therapies and apheresis.
The group has a strong focus on advancing clinician education with two key forums each year.
- Introduction to BMT+CT – an overview of all aspects of BMT+CT aimed at nurses, scientists and allied health professionals new to BMT+CT
- Senior Nurses Forum – advanced education to promote new nursing innovations
Long-term follow up working group
This group brings together health professionals, consumers and carers to propose, prioritise and undertake collaborative long-term follow up projects for recipients of BMT or CT. The aim of these projects is to:
- optimise the health and quality of life of survivors
- minimise the adverse late effects
- enhance medical monitoring and patient screening compliance of survivors
- improve data collection methods and capability regarding the late effects of the treatment
- develop capabilities within the current health system to accommodate BMT or CT recipient specialist needs.
Pharmacy users group
This group promotes the collaboration of pharmacists involved in BMT or CT treatments and supportive care. It aims to:
- provide and regularly update evidence-based practice for all aspects of pharmacy services supporting the BMT+CT programs in NSW
- promote FACT-JACIE* accreditation and assist with meeting the educational requirements of pharmacists
- propose, prioritise and undertake collaborative projects.
*Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) and the Joint Accreditation Committee of International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy and European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (JACIE) standards promote quality clinical and laboratory practice in hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation and cellular therapies.
Partner organisations
We work closely with the following organisations to support professional development and improvements in clinical care.
- Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation
- Australasian Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Registry
- Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
- eviQ
Get involved
We welcome clinicians and health consumers to join the network to share knowledge, experience and perspective. Our network fosters a collaborative culture and values equity of voice for all members.
