About the BMT+CT Network

The BMT+CT Network aims to improve the experience and delivery of healthcare for patients accessing Blood and Marrow Transplant + Cellular Therapies (BMT+CT) services across NSW.

The network has a broad list of priorities.

• Maintain the centralised quality management service 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.
• To support the continued education and professional development of BMT+CT clinicians, scientists and allied health professionals through webinars, forums, working groups and publications
• To 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
• To 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 standard of care CAR-T cellular products

Our structure

BMT+CT Council

The BMT+CT Network Council is comprised of 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.

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 and 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 (LTFU) 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 (PUG)

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 ISCT and EBMT (JACIE) Standards promote quality clinical and laboratory practice in hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation and cellular therapies.

Join the BMT+CT Network

Email: ACI-BMT@health.nsw.gov.au