The South West Regional Cancer Program (SWRCP) oversees the quality and delivery of cancer services for the counties of Grey, Bruce, Huron, Perth, Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin and part of Norfolk. The SWRCP works to ensure that patients receive the same quality of care, regardless of where they live.
There are 14 Regional Cancer Programs across Ontario. Regional cancer programs were created and are funded by Cancer Care Ontario. They consist of networks of hospitals and other agencies who are involved in providing cancer prevention, screening, diagnostic, treatment and support services. They respond to local cancer issues, coordinate care across local and regional healthcare providers and work to continually improve access to care, wait times and the quality of cancer programs and services.
For each Regional Cancer Program, there is a Regional Cancer Centre. The Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre operates as the Regional Cancer Centre for the South West Regional Cancer Program.
Cancer care in the South West region of Ontario is delivered through a network of service providers.
These providers include:
- A regional cancer centre - the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)
- Hospitals that have partnership agreements with Cancer Care Ontario
- Various community-based providers, such as public health units
South West Regional Cancer Plan
The South West Regional Cancer Plan is a blueprint to meet the unique and specific cancer care needs in the South West region. The plan focuses on building strong partnerships and ensuring sustainability for the future. Based on the same principles and framework as the Ontario Cancer Plan 6, this plan will guide regional service improvement until 2028.
The Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre, together with its partners, will work to provide the highest quality care close to home for all residents living in Southwestern Ontario. You can learn more about the South West Regional Cancer Plan on these pages.
The regional cancer centre is located in London, Ontario at London Health Sciences Centre, with regional collaboration with partner hospitals St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Strathroy, Hanover, Kincardine, Walkerton, Goderich, Newbury, St. Thomas, Tillsonburg, Owen Sound, Listowel/Wingham, Stratford, Woodstock and Ingersoll.
Different sites provide a variety of services including cancer screening, systemic therapy, endoscopy, surgery, assessment, pathology services, and more.
South West Regional Cancer Program Catchment Areas
Note: Primary care, including palliative, survivorship and end-of-life care services are offered at the local level.
Catchment Areas and Care Provided
Hanover
- Breast screening
- Endoscopy
- Surgery
Kincardine
- Breast screening
- Endoscopy
Walkerton
- Breast screening
- Breast diagnostic assessment
- Endoscopy
- Surgery
Goderich
- Breast screening
- Endoscopy
London (London Health Sciences Centre and St. Jospeh's Health Care London):
- Breast screening
- High-risk breast screening
- Oncology patient navigation program
- Ontario lung screening program
- Adolescent and young adult program
- Prostate diagnostic assessment
- Colorectal screening
- Pathology services
- Surgery
- Radiation
- Systemic therapy
- Specialized psychology oncology services
- Research
- South West Regional Cancer Program (SWRCP) offices
- Specialized centre for thoracic, HPB, gyne-oncology, head and neck, and neuroendocrine cancer care, as well as sarcoma and complex malignant hematology and transplant services
Strathroy
- Breast diagnostic assessment
- Endoscopy
- Surgery
Chatham
- Systemic therapy (inter-regional collaboration)
Newbury
- Endoscopy
St. Thomas
- Breast screening
- Breast diagnostic assessment
- Endoscopy
- Pathology services
- Surgery
- Systemic therapy
Tillsonburg
- Breast screening
- Colorectal screening
- Endoscopy
- Surgery
Woodstock
- Breast screening
- Colorectal screening
- Endoscopy
- Pathology services
- Breast diagnostic assessment
- Surgery
- Systemic therapy
Stratford
- Breast screening
- Breast diagnostic assessment
- Colorectal screening
- Endoscopy
- Pathology services
- Surgery
- Systemic therapy
Listowel/Wingham
- Breast screening
- Breast diagnostic assessment
- Endoscopy
- Surgery
- Systemic therapy
Owen Sound
- Breast screening
- High-risk breast screening
- Breast diagnostic assessment
- Colorectal screening
- Endoscopy
- Pathology services
- Lung diagnostic assessment
- Prostate diagnostic assessment
- Psychosocial oncology services
- Surgery
- Systemic therapy
Indigenous Communities Served within the Southwest Region
Map legend
In the map above, the symbols outlined below represent the location of each service:
- Green square: Regional Care Programs
- Bold and capitalized F: Friendship Centres
- Bold and capitalized A: Aboriginal Health Access Centres
In the map above, the location of each First Nations Community Political Territorial Organizations (PTO) are represented by the following symbols:
- 25: Chippewa of the Thames
- 26: Saugeen First Nation
- 94: Oneida of the Thames
- 27: Chippewa of the Thames
- 75: Munsee-Delaware Nation
- Light blue circle: Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians
- Purpose circle: Independent/Unaffiliates First Nations
- Red Circle: Union of Ontario Indians
In the map above, the location of Métis Governance is represented by the following symbol:
- Yellow circle: Métis Nation of Ontario
South West Region Indigenous Demographic Information
Indigenous Peoples
- Total: 22, 530
- First Nations: 15,470
- Métis: 6,200
- Inuit: 135
First Nations Communities
- Chippewas of the Narwash Unceded First Nation
- Chippewas of the Saugeen First Nation
- Chippewas of the Thames First Nation
- Oneida Nation of the Thames
- Munsee-Delaware Nation
Métis Nation of Ontario
- Thames Bluewater Métis Council
- Great Lakes Métis Regional Council
Friendship Centres
- N'Amerind Friendship Centre (London)
- M'Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre (Owen Sound)
Aboriginal Health Access Centres
- Southwestern Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC)
- London, Chippewas of the Thames, Owen Sound
Sustainability Structure
- Direct Engagement
- South West Indigenous Health Committee
2024 – 2028 Strategic Plan Outline
Go back to the South West Regional Cancer Plans landing page.
