Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research: Outgoing chair John Barrington’s high hopes for WA cancer centre

Outgoing chair of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research John Barrington wants Western Australia to have its own top-tier cancer centre. Victoria has the Melbourne-based Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, which has cemented its status worldwide, appearing in the top 25 in Newsweek’s world’s best specialised hospitals ranking for five consecutive years. And it’s the mould Mr Barrington wants to use to establish WA’s own crown jewel of specialist cancer care and innovation. Wrapping up his six-year tenure on the board and three years as chair, Mr Barrington has seen the proposed comprehensive cancer centre go from pipe dream to achievable milestone, thanks to an initial $375 million commitment from the Federal Government. As he passes the baton to new chair, former Morrison government minister Ben Morton, Mr Barrington hopes the future Perkins Western Australian Comprehensive Cancer Centre earns its own stellar reputation in time. “It’s more than a vision now,” he said. The proposed construction and fit-out of the centre, to be co-located with the existing Perkins building at the QEII medical complex, will include inpatient services with roughly 100 long-stay beds, 40 same-day beds and chairs for chemotherapy and haematology, and six intensive care or high dependency beds. While the State Government has supported what will be a Perkins-operated centre in principle, it’s awaiting a formal business case to be finalised by the institute before it commits to matching the funding. “The business case takes it to the next level of planning, of specific beds and operating theatres and site location. We’re currently working with the government with a view to complete that by the end of the year,” Mr Barrington said. “I can’t speak for them (the government), of course, but our discussions are positive and it’s progressing,” he said. Mr Barrington wants the Perkins Western Australian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, or PWACCC, to be truly comprehensive. Alongside inpatient services, outpatient services will include 36 specialist clinics, two radiation oncology bunkers, four operating theatres with space for expansion, two procedure rooms and seven imaging services including MRI, CT and PET scans. “We will (also) wrap around all the wellness services. Psychology services, physiotherapy, fitness, strength-building, all that is in the one centre,” Mr Barrington said. Part of that will be dedicated to helping patients coordinate their care as they navigate what can often be the daunting task and logistical nightmare of organising appointments, transport, accommodation, support services and more. Crucially, this will include virtual services to support regional, remote, Aboriginal, and culturally and linguistically diverse patients. “There’s only one outcome from this, and that’s better treatment for patients, for Western Australians, and Australians, and globally,” he said. It’s set to have all the makings of a future renowned facility, but the timeline to achieve such a build remains elusive. “As quickly as possible is really the answer,” Mr Barrington said. In an ideal world, it would take the Perkins two years from the State Government’s decision to PWACCC being operational. Given the business case was originally expected to be completed by March 2024 but is now slated for the end of the year, it’s an ambitious claim. In reality, it could take double or triple that time. Peter Mac took four years to build as did Perth’s own Fiona Stanley Hospital, while Perth Children’s Hospital took six years to build. Pair that with the possibility of an inflated price tag, even former premier Mark McGowan said as early as 2022 the $750m price tag on the facility was not enough, and PWACCC could cost taxpayers well over $1 billion. Luckily, boosting the Perkins’ research capabilities won’t be a difficult task. The research institute already has skin in the game — much of its research centres on cancer, cardiovascular disease and rare genetic diseases. More dedicated research spaces, clinical trial beds, laboratories and a cancer tissue biobank will allow Perkins’ best and brightest minds to continue taking strides towards medical advancements and better understanding disease processes. And making PWACCC attractive for researchers will also have the added bonus of helping Perth avoid the “post-docalypse”. It’s a canny quip referring to post-doctoral researchers leaving WA to seek opportunities elsewhere, whether it’s with acclaimed scientists or better equipment and resources. “There is an opportunity in the world now to attract world-leading scientists . . . which is good for WA, (and) good for young scientists,” Mr Barrington said. “If we have that here, we can stop that post-docalypse, that brain drain.” Looking to the future, Mr Barrington is hopeful WA can become a leading biomedical innovation powerhouse. “My view is artificial intelligence will be a major contributor to solving intractable diseases such as cancer, (and) cardiovascular disease,” he said. “Quantum sensing is already being used in radiology, quantum computing is the next step. And when we bring AI and quantum computing together, we’ve got even more capability to deliver precision medicine.” The idea is to use quantum computing to solve complex problems that can’t be solved by traditional computers — at speed. “The steps are already there for us to step onto. The strategic challenge is to do it sector-wide,” Mr Barrington said.