Project Name: UCLH Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy Non-Medical Prescriber Clinics

Project Summary: 

The Collaborative Working Project (“CWP”) is designed to enhance capacity within the breast cancer (“BC”) pathway and to provide equity of access to NICE approved Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatments (“SACT”) by introducing two dedicated new roles. Currently there are two Non-Medical Prescriber (“NMP”) Band 7 specialising in breast cancer who are fully qualified (Band 8a equivalent) to prescribe but are unable to use their qualifications due to existing capacity constraints.

To enable these two pharmacists to maximise their skillset and effectively perform a combined 1.0 Whole Time Equivalent enhanced NMP Band 8a role, it is essential to establish a backfill NMP Band 7 position. This backfill post will cover their routine specialist pharmacist clinic duties, thereby allowing the original NMPs to focus on their prescribing responsibilities to enable them to implement the following service model:

  • Initially run group sessions for patient information, assessment, baseline tests, drug history, counselling and drug supply for patients still eligible to start CDK4/6 inhibitors due to commencing endocrine therapy within the last 12 months.
  • Collect patient feedback about both their treatment experience and experience of pharmacist NMP
  • Implement novel service model to address overbooked clinics. This new model will be led by pharmacist NMPs and will address the backlog by being an additional resource to the current provision
  • Maintenance appointments in NMP clinic

By establishing the new service model, the CWP aims to: 

  • Support equity of access and timely initiation to NICE guided treatments for patients where appropriate to improve their outcomes;
  • Increase the efficiency of the breast cancer pathway;
  • Improve patient outcomes and experiences by reducing time between Referrals to Treatments (“RTT”).
  • Increase patient awareness of the cancer journey thus fostering patient education and empowerment.
  • Gather relevant service metrics to develop a business case for the ongoing employment of the new workforce role beyond the scope of this project.
  • Upskill existing workforce to increase existing capabilities within the service to create a self-sustaining project outcome
  • Gain a deeper understanding of patient’s experience of their treatment
  • Provide the opportunity to share the outcomes of using this model of care at a peer-to-peer meeting via poster, paper or similar. Activities and materials developed will be outside the scope of this CWP.

Expected Benefits:

Expected Benefits for Patients

  • NMP's will improve patient experience on maintenance therapies where patients are staying in secondary care for regular reviews.
  • More streamlined pathway to improve the patient experience.
  • Increased access to equitable, consistent and standardised care.  
  • Improve access to new NICE approved therapies
  • Increased access to education on BC treatment and supportive care to improve adherence and consequently patients’ outcomes, supported by personalised pharmaceutical care plans.
  • Reduce patient waits in the clinic given extra capacity created by new workforce role.   

Expected Benefits for CW Partner

  • NMP's will provide specialist expertise of drugs given in the maintenance setting within secondary care, adding value, improving overall quality of care and equity of access for patients.
  • Free up consultant capacity for appropriate use of specialist knowledge within the Breast Cancer Service.
  • Improve patient satisfaction with reduced waiting time and consistent care.
  • Improved workforce resilience and therefore staff satisfaction.
  • CWP will highlight the Trust as exemplary in capability and subsequent capacity building within existing workforce

Expected 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: September 2025 for 21 months

FA-11481801 | July 2025