Project Name: NNUHFT Breast Cancer Service Expansion

Project Summary:

The Collaborative Working Project (CWP) aims to free up capacity within the breast cancer pathway with the addition of a dedicated new role (the “Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Clinical Nurse Specialist (SACT CNS)”) providing pre-treatment education and optimisation, and support for the management, pre-assessment, review, education, and follow-up of metastatic breast cancer (“mBC”) patients who are eligible for Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (“SACT”) therapies.  There is a national attention on the stability of breast oncology services and an urgent need to pilot new workforce options and ways of working to manage increasing demand and help tackle the backlog of patients. Demand is increasing at an unprecedented rate within breast oncology services at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Trust “NNUHFT”), as described in further detail in the ‘Background’ section of the PID.  

By integrating the SACT CNS into the service, the CWP aims to:  

  • improve patient outcomes and experience by reducing time between referral, diagnosis, and treatment;  
  • increase patient awareness of the cancer pathway thus fostering patient empowerment;  
  • support the NNUHFT breast cancer team with management of patient databases. 

Planned Milestones:

 Milestone Description
1Kick off meeting.
2Collection of Baseline aggregate comparator data for the project outcomes as detailed above.
3

Confirmation of the recruitment of CNS by CW Partner, CNS on-boarding and familiarisation.

Implementation of in-patient strategies/protocols and procedures governing the clinical operations of the Breast Cancer Service. 

Confirmation of commencement of clinical operations according to the developed protocols.

4Carry out 3 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
5Carry out 6 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
6Carry out 9 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
7Carry out 12 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
8Carry out 15 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
9Carry out 18 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
10Carry out 21 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
11Carry out 24 months of clinical operations according to the developed protocols, NNUHFT to monitor and collect data, 
provide anonymised report containing such data to Novartis.
12NNUHFT to develop business case to support future funding by the Trust to continue with the service. Submit final CWP r
eport to Trust Service development manager.
13Develop with Novartis within 3 months of completion of the clinical work for outcomes publishing in line with the ABPI guidelines.

 

Expected Benefits:

Anticipated Benefits to Patients:

  • Improved access to evidence-based treatment(s);    
  • More equitable and consistent care and access to care; 
  • Enhanced experience for patients and their carers who live with a breast cancer diagnosis; 
  • Increased access to education on breast cancer will enable patients to distinguish potential disease progression and the side effects of treatment; 
  • A personalised breast cancer care plan will help patient education and awareness. 

Anticipated Benefits to the Organisation:

  • Increase the overall quality of care and improve equity of access to specialist care for patients with breast cancer;   
  • Reduction in waiting list times; 
  • Increased awareness of the breast cancer treatment pathway. 

Anticipated Benefit to Novartis:

  • Better understanding of overall customers’ and patients’ needs; 
  • Optimal use of medicines (including Novartis medicines) in appropriate patients. 

Start Date & Duration: Jan-2024 for 28 months

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