Effective communication is essential at every step of the care pathway. Effective communication with the patient and carer is particularly important given the prevalence of low health literacy in Australia, which is estimated at 60 per cent of Australian adults (ACSQHC 2013).

The general or primary medical practitioner who made the referral is responsible for the person until care is passed to another practitioner.

The general or primary medical practitioner may play a number of roles in all stages of the cancer pathway including diagnosis, referral, treatment, coordination and continuity of care as well as providing information and support to the person and their family.

The GP should:

• provide the patient with information that clearly describes who they are being referred to, the reason for referral and the expected timeframe for appointments
• support the patient while waiting for the specialist appointment.