Project Name: Swansea Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Education and Toxicity Management Nurse

Project Summary:

The Collaborative Working Project (CWP) aims to enhance the capacity within the breast cancer pathway by introducing a new role, the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Clinical Nurse Specialist (SACT CNS). This role focuses on providing pre-treatment education, optimisation, and support for the management, pre-assessment, review, education, and follow-up of breast cancer patients eligible for SACT therapies.

The project addresses the increasing demand within breast oncology services at Swansea Bay Health Board and aims to:

  • Decrease the clinic burden on the current workforce and increase their satisfaction, reducing the risk of burnout.
  • Optimise the duties performed by each healthcare professional according to their skillset.
  • Gather relevant service metrics to develop a business case for the ongoing employment of the new workforce role beyond the project's scope
  • Reduce unplanned medical reviews and admissions

The project involves the deployment of a band 7 FTE SACT nurse for 24 months of clinical activity. 

The role includes nurse-led telephone consultations, independent patient assessments, initiating investigations, organising patient investigations, generating referrals, clinic preparation, and ensuring documentation is completed on relevant platforms

The expected outcomes include improved quality of care for breast cancer patients, increased patient and clinical staff satisfaction, and the establishment of a case for future funding of the SACT CNS by the NHS. The project will measure success through various metrics, including the number of patients seen, clinics conducted, and satisfaction surveys

Planned Milestones:

Milestone           

  1. Kick off meeting  Within 1 week of signature of Collaborative Working Agreement
  2. Confirmation of the employment of SACT CNS; on-boarding and familiarization; complete collection of baseline aggregate comparator data for the project outcomes as detailed above by Swansea Bay HB. 
    1. Set up clinic code ahead of nurse being employed, alongside the referral route into clinic.
    2. Implement in-patient strategies/protocols and procedures governing the clinical operations of the Breast Cancer Service. Begin clinical operations according to the developed protocols, monitor and collect data.  Within the first 6 months of signature of Collaborative Working Agreement
  3. Carry out 3 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CCC to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above.      3 months from clinical activity start date 
  4. Carry out 6 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CCC to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above.      6 months from clinical activity start date 
  5. Carry out 9 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CNS to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above.      9 months from clinical activity start date 
  6. Carry out 12 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CNS to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above.      12 months from clinical activity start date 
  7. Develop business case to support future funding by the CNS to continue with the service. Present the Business case to the Health Board for continuation of service         13  months from clinical activity start date
  8. Carry out 15 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CNS to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above.      15 months from clinical activity start date
  9. Carry out 18 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CNS to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above      18 months from clinical activity start date
  10. Carry out 21 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CNS to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above   21 months from clinical activity start date
  11. Carry out 24 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, CNS to monitor and collect data, provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis to assess against milestone, as applicable, as per the measurement criteria outlined in the “Project Outcomes and Measurement Criteria” section above   24 months from clinical activity start date
  12. Develop with Novartis within 2 months from completion of the clinical work for outcomes publishing in line with the ABPI guidelines   26 months from execution of CWA
     

Expected Benefits:

Anticipated benefits for patients

  • Increased access to equitable, consistent, and standardised care 
  • Improved patient experience and a more robust informed consent process i.e., truly informed so that patients understand their options and next steps
  • Increased access to education on mBC and treatments to improve adherence and consequently improve patients' outcomes, supported by a personalised care plan 
  • Reduce patient waits in the clinic given extra capacity created by new workforce role
  • Reduce unplanned medical reviews and admissions

 

Anticipated benefits for the NHS

  • Increase the overall quality of care and improve equity of access to specialist care for patients with mBC 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 patients, thereby reducing the potential for unplanned calls being received by the wider clinical team
  • Free up consultant capacity for clinical activities that are unique to their skillset
  • Reduce use of emergency triage line and unplanned admissions
  • CWP would highlight CCC as an exemplar

 

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 32 months

FA-11358347 | February 2025