Project Name: Collaborative Working - Mount Vernon Breast Cancer Service Redesign

Project Summary:

This Collaborative Working Project (“CWP”) aims to optimise workforce capacity within the Mount Vernon Hospital, East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust breast cancer (“BC”) oncology service with the creation of new dedicated workforce roles to include one breast cancer care coordinator and one lead breast cancer nurse specialist band 8  for a period of 12 months.  

The intention is to maximise efficiency of clinical appointments that will improve the pathway for patients providing a more efficient and coordinated approach to care.   

The new roles will support the breast oncology multidisciplinary team and coordinate the pathway for patients with primary and secondary breast cancer.   

Planned Milestones:

  1. CW Partner and Novartis: Kick-off meeting and collection of baseline data in line with the project outcome measures.

  2. CW Partner: Work up job spec and confirmation of job advertisement published for Band 8 Lead BC Nurse Specialist and Cancer care coordinator

  3. Confirmation of the recruitment of Band 8 and Cancer Care coordinator

  4. Collection & submission of 3 months clinical activity data. 

  5. Collection & submission of 6 months clinical activity data. 

  6. Development of Business case to support sustainability of the project

  7. Collection & submission of 9 months clinical activity data.

  8. Collection & submission of 12 months clinical activity data.

  9. Submit final CWP report to Novartis within 2 months completion of the clinical work.

Expected Benefits:

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS 

  • Increased access to equitable, consistent and standardized care. 
  • Increased access to education on BC and treatment to improve adherence and consequently patients’ outcomes, supported by a personalized care plan. 
  • Reduce patient waits in the clinic given extra capacity created by new workforce role.
  • Reduced unplanned medical reviews and admissions.
  • More streamlined pathway to improve the patient experience and limit visits to the hospital 
  • Increased and dedicated workforce will improved patient uptake of eHNAs 

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FOR THE ORGANISATION(S)  

  • Increase the overall quality of care and improve equity of access to specialist care for patients with BC requiring treatment initiation, evaluation and monitoring. 
  • Provision of subject matter expertise to educate other members of the clinical team on treatment options. 
  • Provide a single point of contact for a dedicated cohort of patients, thereby reducing the potential for unplanned calls being received by the wider clinical team. 
  • Free up consultant capacity for clinical activities within the Breast Cancer Service that are unique to their skillset. 
  • Reduce use of emergency triage line and unplanned admissions. 
  • Workforce efficiency and optimisation by removing administrative burden from clinical staff and coordinating patient care
  • Increased clinic efficiency by ensuring all up to date tests results are available at the right time
  • Increase the overall quality of care and improve equity of access to specialist care for patients with BC requiring treatment initiation, evaluation, and monitoring 

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FOR NOVARTIS  

  • Better understanding of overall HCP and patient needs
  • Optimal use of medicines in line with local/national guidance (including Novartis medicines) in appropriate patients.
  • Ethical, professional, and transparent relationship between Novartis and the Healthcare Organisations

Start Date & Duration: February 2025 for 20 months

FA-11362084 I February 2025