Project Name: Novartis Re-imagining Care Pathways Collaborative Working Project (“NRCP CWP”) Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust - Neuroendocrine Tumour service

Project Summary:

The Reimagining Care Pathways CWP comprises a series of workshops, with the aim of providing pathway mapping support to the CW Partner (healthcare and service teams) to:

  1.  Improve efficiency and service effectiveness for the benefit of patient care.
  2. Address the local challenges they face in the delivery of patient care.

The programme facilitates area teams (Trust or ICS) to identify areas for efficiency within their Neuroendocrine Tumour service for prioritisation. The programme will be carried out in a number of different institutions. 

Expected Benefits:

Anticipated Benefits for Patients:

  • Improvement of clinical pathways which may result in potentially fewer visits and shorter waiting times due to a more efficient clinical pathway.
  • Faster and more equitable access to the complete range of NICE approved treatment options.
  • Quality care improvements aligned to established best practices. 

Anticipated Benefits for the Organisation(s):

  • Improved understanding of the current service pathway, and associated efficiencies and inefficiencies. Potential to lead to solutions which could allow the CW Partner’s organisation to enhance both patient experience and outcomes.

Anticipated benefits for Novartis:

  • Understanding of possible opportunities to partner with the CW Partner to enhance patient outcomes and experience. Better understanding of patients,’ carers and customers’ needs, which may inform future service offerings, and synergies between needs of the customer and value of Novartis offerings.
     

Start Date & Duration: August 2025, 16 weeks

FA-11488586 | August 2025

Project Name: Re‑Imagining Care Pathways Collaborative Working Project (CWP) supports Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW)

Organisation(s): Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, ME16 9QQ

Completion Date: March 2026

Outcomes Summary: 

The Re‑Imagining Care Pathways Collaborative Working Project (CWP) undertaken with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the current Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) pathway across Kent. The project focused on aligning multidisciplinary stakeholders, mapping the existing service, and identifying opportunities to strengthen efficiency, coordination, and patient experience. 

Through thirteen stakeholder interviews and a structured multi‑disciplinary workshop, the project established a shared understanding of how patients move through a complex multi‑trust pathway and where improvements are most needed.

Key Project Outcomes Data: 

1. Enhanced Visibility and Alignment of the NETs Pathway

The project provided the first formalised end‑to‑end pathway map for Kent NETs patient flow, capturing interactions across four referring trusts and two King’s MDTs. Stakeholders felt the map accurately reflected complexity and highlighted duplication risks, variation in referral processes, and gaps in surveillance ownership.

2. Clear Identification of Systemic Challenges

The work aligned stakeholders on several critical issues, including:

  • Inconsistent referral methods to the Maidstone Upper GI MDT, creating administrative burden and risk of patients being lost.
  • Absence of agreed criteria for King’s MDT referral, contributing to inequity and unnecessary duplication.
  • Lack of formally agreed cross‑trust protocols, increasing vulnerability to staff turnover.
  • Unclear ownership of long‑term surveillance, leading to growing follow‑up lists at both Maidstone and King’s.

3. Strengthened Case for Workforce Sustainability

The mapping exercise highlighted the essential role of the NET CNS at Maidstone and the increasing workload associated with regional coordination. Stakeholders unanimously agreed a substantive CNS post is required, with long‑term funding needed to safeguard service resilience.

4. Recommendations for Pathway Standardisation

Consensus was reached on several priority improvements:

  • Standardised referral routes and information requirements for all Kent trusts.
  • Development of stratification criteria determining which patients require King’s MDT involvement.
  • Establishment of unified surveillance protocols, modelled on the King’s framework.
  • Cross‑trust agreement on surgical case allocation to ensure optimal utilisation of Maidstone’s specialist capacity.

5. Opportunities to Enhance Patient Navigation

The project identified the need for:

  • A visual patient pathway to reduce confusion and improve understanding of multi‑trust journeys.
  • Exploration of a care‑navigator role to reduce administrative burden on CNS teams.
  • A standardised NETs patient support line across Kent.

Outcomes:

The Maidstone NETs pathway mapping project has delivered a clear, consensus‑driven view of current service challenges and strengths across Kent. Strong clinical expertise and collaborative relationships underpin the pathway, but increasing caseloads, informal cross‑trust arrangements, and variations in referral and surveillance activity pose significant future risk. The outcomes of this project provide a structured foundation for standardising the regional NETs pathway, enhancing patient experience, and supporting future workforce sustainability.

Conclusion: 

The delivery of this project offered a real-time snapshot of the current pathways and by identifying key pinch points‑ and areas for improvement, the findings will help shape recommendations to enhance efficiency and overall patient experience. The insights gathered have informed a collaborative working initiative where Novartis may be able to provide further support.

FA-11641750 | April 2026