Cancer workforce
In North Central London, cancer care is delivered by a large and varied workforce across primary, secondary and community care. This includes doctors, nurses, allied health professionals (such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists), healthcare scientists, support workers and many other clinical and administrative professionals who support individuals across the whole cancer pathway.
There is, however, a large and increasing gap between the cancer workforce we need to meet current and future system demand and the cancer workforce we have available. It is predicted that there will be national shortages of specialist cancer doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and admin/clerical staff by 2030. At the same time, the demand for cancer services increases each year.
North Central London Cancer Alliance’s mission is to embed a diverse, supported and knowledgeable cancer workforce that will evolve with the changing landscape of cancer care and research. We aim to foster a culture where our cancer workforce feels valued, and equipped to deliver the best possible care and experience for patients and carers across North Central London.
Our staff are vital and indispensable contributors in the care and support of people with cancer, so supporting them to be fulfilled in their roles is high on our list of strategic priorities.
Our Workforce Strategy
North Central London’s first ever cancer Workforce Strategy charts a course for us to build strong and sustainable teams with the expertise and skills to deliver the highest quality of cancer care and support for people affected by cancer. Our strategy has three areas of focus:
- Increase the supply of a diverse and skilled cancer workforce which reflects our local population.
- Develop and retain our cancer workforce.
- Support system-wide transformation in the cancer workforce.
As part of our strategy work, we are gathering data to better understand the current configuration of our workforce – informing smarter planning and investment to ensure we have a confident and capable workforce in place to meet the needs of people with cancer today and in the years ahead.
The strategy builds on priorities set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and the NCL ICS People Strategy.
Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development (ACCEND) programme
One of our core priorities in delivering our Workforce Strategy is to enable the implementation of the ACCEND programme in North Central London. The programme aims to support and develop cancer nurses, cancer support workers and allied health professionals.