Clinical Advisory Group

The ACDS governance includes the Clinical Advisory Group (CAG), an independent expert panel of radiation oncology professionals comprised of nominees from the four professional colleges covering Australia and New Zealand, and TROG Cancer Research. The purpose of the CAG is to advise the ACDS on development of audit methodologies and immediate clinical interpretation on specific audit outcomes.

If any measurement within an audit returns an Out of Tolerance result, the audit is referred to the CAG and evaluated for potential clinical impact. The CAG offers clinical insight to support any recommendations or changes of practice which may be warranted. The information sent for review is confidential and de-identified. Members are required to declare any conflicts of interest, which are managed sensitively.

The CAG plays a central role in the ACDS continuous improvement cycle to improve and develop audit capability. ACDS audits have evolved from simple conformal techniques to cover FFF, IMRT, VMAT, SABR, SRS, adaptive, and most recently, motion-management treatment approaches. The audit program has expanded from conventional C-arm linacs to Halcyon®, Ethos™, MRI-Linacs, TomoTherapy ®, CyberKnife ®, Gamma Knife ® and superficial/orthovoltage treatment delivery platforms as appropriate. Each of the audit development proposals is reviewed by the CAG and the field trial results are monitored and analysed to ensure that the proposed audit outcomes are appropriate to clinical and technical tolerances.

The CAG provides an annual report to the CEO of ARPANSA and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC). The AHPPC is the key decision-making committee for health emergencies in Australia comprising all state and territory Chief Health Officers, and is chaired by the Australian Chief Medical Officer. Tabled alongside the annual ACDS in Review report, the Clinical Advisory Group Report is an independent assessment regarding the clinical impact and relevance of the ACDS’ operations throughout the previous year and how on-going audit development will mitigate future clinical risk.

Read more about AHPPC

CAG membership (current August 2023)

The CAG membership represents a broad base of professional clinical experience incorporating diversity across all jurisdictions and practice. Members may serve up to three consecutive two-year terms, and may not be current employees of ARPANSA. When vacancies arise, ARPANSA seeks nominations from:

• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiology (RANZCR)
• Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM)
• Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT)
• New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology (NZIMRT)
• Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG)
• New Zealand representative from RANZCR, ACPSEM or TROG
• In addition, ARPANSA may appoint an expert with unlimited tenure for independent technical expertise and advice.

The Chair of CAG is nominated by RANZCR. The ACDS Director and a senior ACDS auditor are ex-officio members of the CAG.