Project Name: Leeds Breast Cancer Capacity Service Redesign

Project Summary: 

This Collaborative Working Project (“CWP”) aims to optimise workforce capacity within the early breast cancer (“eBC”) and advanced breast cancer (“aBC”) oncology service with the creation of new dedicated workforce roles to include one Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Band 7 Advanced Clinical Practionier (ACP) and one 0.8 FTE Band 4 MDT Coordinator for the duration of 12 months, with the intention to substantiate the roles through the development and submission of the Business Case as part of the milestone delivery.

Expected Benefits: 

Anticipated benefits for patients 

  • Faster access to equitable, consistent and standardized care.
  • Increased access to education on breast cancer and drug toxicity to improve treatment adherence and consequently patients’ outcomes, supported by a personalised 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 improve patient uptake of ePROMs

Anticipated benefits for the organisation

  • 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.
  • Reduce number of unplanned and ad-hoc patient calls to Breast Care Nurses (BCNs) and email queries to the medical team
  • 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
  • Insights into 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: August 2025, 12 months of clinical activity

FA-11484406 | August 2025