Cancer Care Nurse

Job Summary As part of East Suffolk PCN, your role is to develop and implement a comprehensive cancer pathway approach, aligning with the NHS Long Term Plan's goal of earlier cancer diagnosis. You will collaborate closely with system partners to ensure seamless coordination of care for patients on cancer pathways. This includes facilitating timely referrals, providing specialist advice, and supporting patients living with and beyond cancer to enhance their quality of life. You will forge relationships with community services, secondary care, and PCN practices to ensure early symptom identification, supported referrals, and robust safety measures. Additionally, you will lead educational initiatives, contribute to multi-professional healthcare team training, and drive service development through clinical audit and leadership. By working collaboratively with system colleagues, you will address variations and inequities in cancer care, ultimately improving patient pathways across primary,
community, and secondary care settings. Scope of the Role To support the 2WW suspected cancer pathway referrals into secondary care, by ensuring all pre referral tests are completed. Working within an agreed framework that includes safety netting and returning to the referrer. To scope the community services available that support early identification of cancer, there are some health inequalities within identifying early cancer at an early stage. This role will link into local communities and Voluntary sector organisations within the local area to support education and awareness. To be the PCN point of contact for cancer in supporting other practice nurses and administration staff to identify the support patients may require that are having cancer treatments and living with and beyond cancer within the PCN. Lead on the development of a Make Every Contact Count (MECC) through embedding a health promotion pathway for those patients who have been referred on a cancer pathway and are
discharged following secondary assessment. Those patients who undertake risk taking behaviour such as smoking or excess alcohol may be our future cancer patients. To lead improvements in the quality of Cancer Care Reviews (CCR) completed in primary care post diagnosis. To support the development of innovations across all aspects of the cancer pathway. Clinical Responsibilities Be actively engaged in the setting up and establishment of this new service, actively engaging with other stakeholders to ensure that processes are robust and the service operates within the agreed guidance. Be responsible for coordinating the pre referral tests required for 2WW referrals within the PCNs, interpret results of relevant patient investigations in conjunction with clinicians and where indicated provide appropriate management as directed by the clinical team with next steps within the protocol led pathway. Be responsible for working with the referring GP for safety netting patients who are on a cancer
pathway until point of diagnosis or discharge. To complete and maintain accurate records of patient interactions, pre-diagnostic/ referral interventions clinical narrative and outcomes, ensuring that patient confidentiality is adhered to within the PCN Information Governance guidelines. To undertake holistic needs assessments of identified patients, enabling timely support and advocacy of patients personalised care needs providing relevant information and psychological support; advising patients and their identified carers of expected next steps. Actively monitor and escalate issues regarding the patient referral and next steps to the responsible clinician. Develop and participate in the promotion of patient-centred care and establish and maintain a supportive relationship with the patient and their family, in making informed decisions about their care from the point of suspected cancer referral. Develop a continued updated knowledge of the current services available for
patients with complications from their treatment but also services to offer on-going support in primary care into survivorship. Developing the service to include a regular face to face clinic for patients with higher support needs who are having treatment or are on a personalised follow up pathway.