##  [Southern Health & Social Care Trust (“SHSCT”), having its headquarters 68 Lurgan Rd, Portadown, Craigavon BT63 5QQ ](/uk-en/about/partnerships/collaborative-working/southern-health-and-social-care-bc-service "Southern Health & Social Care Trust (“SHSCT”), having its headquarters 68 Lurgan Rd, Portadown, Craigavon BT63 5QQ ") 

 **Project Name:** SHSCT Breast Cancer Service Improvement Project

**Project Summary:**

The project is designed to maximise efficiency and optimise workforce capacity within the SHSCT breast cancer oncology service. This will be achieved by creating three new dedicated workforce roles for a period of two years:

- Band 7 Oncology Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Band 6 Breast Cancer Oncology Nurse Specialist
- Band 4 Oncology Support Worker

**Objectives:**

- Build strong clinical relationships and ensure robust handover from the Surgical Breast Care Nursing Team to the Breast Oncology CNS team.
- Maximise efficiency of clinical appointments, improving the patient pathway from diagnosis to treatment.
- Support the breast oncology multidisciplinary team and coordinate care for patients with both primary and secondary breast cancer.

**Role Highlights:**

- The Band 7 CNS will lead nurse-led consultations, assess patients independently, initiate investigations, and contribute to multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings.
- The Band 6 Nurse Specialist will act as a key worker across the care pathway, provide holistic support, and participate in MDT meetings.
- The Band 4 Support Worker will offer holistic care, facilitate personalised care plans, and help patients navigate health and social care systems.

**Expected Benefits:**

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS

- Increased access to equitable, consistent, and standardised care
- Enhanced experience for patients and their carers who live with a breast cancer diagnosis;
- Increased opportunity to have a personalised care and support plan helping patients to address their concerns

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FOR THE ORGANISATION

- Increased understanding of the individual patients' needs by the NHS team
- Free up consultant capacity for clinical activities that are unique to their skillset
- Capacity for consultant to see more complex patients
- Enhanced organisational reputation

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FOR NOVARTIS

Better understanding of overall customers’ and patients’ needs

- Optimal use of medicines (including Novartis medicines) in line with local/national guidance in appropriate patients.
- Ethical, professional, and transparent relationship between Novartis and the Healthcare Organisations

**Start Date & Expected Duration:** November 2025 for 30 months

FA-11573068 | December 2025