Blackpool South Primary Care Network

Early Diagnosis Cancer Navigator

The closing date is 18 July 2025

Job summary

We are excited to launch this innovative pilot role led and funded by Lancashire & South Cumbria Cancer Alliance and hosted by Blackpool Central Primary Care Network, aimed at improving early diagnosis of cancer.

This 12 month fixed term post offers a unique opportunity to shape the delivery of support to your local population.

From 2028 55,000 more people will survive five years following a diagnosis of cancer. To achieve this about 75% of cancer patients need to survive five years. Currently just over 50% of patients survive 5 years.

By 2028 75% of cancers will be diagnosed at an early stage (stage 1 or 2). Currently just over 50% of patients are diagnosed at an early stage.

Patient experience of cancer care needs to be improved with better personalisation of cancer care.

Main duties of the job

As Cancer Navigator , you will have responsibility for supporting and developing co-ordination and management of the early detection & prevention of Cancer across the Primary Care Network and ensuring that the early part of the patients cancer journey is as seamless as possible.

This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference. If you are passionate about supporting people to improve cancer outcomes, we would love to hear from you

About us

Blackpool South PCN is made up of four GP Practices with a weighted list size of 37,500 spread across a fairly compact urban area.

The PCN formed in 2019 with no changes to its original members to date.

Blackpool South PCN Practices are:

  • Abbeydale Medical Centre
  • Arnold Medical Centre
  • Stony Hill Medical Practice
  • Highfield Surgery

Details

Date posted

26 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

W0002-25-0001

Job locations

South Shore Primary Care Centre

Lytham Road

Blackpool

FY4 1TJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities

To assist the Primary Care Network (PCN) in delivering improvements to the services we provide our patients in relation to the following aspects of patient care - Participation in national cancer screening programmes.

Ensuring robust and supportive referral practices are in place for patients suspected of having cancer; including use of guidelines, professional development, and safety netting of those referred.

In support of collaborative working the post holder will form productive and supportive relationships with practice staff who have the skills, knowledge and remit to contribute to this work. e.g., GP practice non clinical cancer champions, social prescribers, pharmacists, secretaries etc.

The post holder will assist the PCN constituent practices to evaluate their screening uptake and engage hard to reach populations and to reduce health inequalities. This will include working alongside practices to enhance processes to track and follow-up screening non-responders.

Take forward proactive monitoring and tracking of patients suspected or confirmed of having a cancer diagnosis ensuring that their journey is processed in a timely and efficient manner, in line with Cancer Waiting Time Targets.

Provide advice and support to practices on cancer audit/referral review of cancer diagnoses. To work with practices to collate the learning from case reviews to identify any trends or learning.

Develop with core staff across the PCN consistent safety netting approaches/systems to monitoring patients who have been referred urgently with suspected cancer or for further investigations to exclude the possibility of cancer.

Provide the PCN with support to host peer-to-peer learning events that look at data and trends in diagnosis and screening across a Network. Including appropriate contributors from other organisations

Source appropriate resources, training, system examples from appropriate organization such as the Cancer Alliance, Cancer Research UK, Macmillan, and local authority partners.

Be a point of contact for PCN member Practices to develop and implement their cancer screening improvement action plans.

Create a Library of PCN data packs and other resources to support the delivery of information to patients in a wide variety of formats to meet the needs of all patient groups, including those with Learning Disabilities, and people for whom English is not a first language.

Review practice coding for report building and templates to ensure consistency across the PCN and accuracy of data. Identify coding anomalies and liaise with Ardens (template and reports used by all member practices).

Provide administrative support for project evaluation and feedback.

To provide, receive and analyse information of a clinical and statistical nature, to support the development of key workstreams to improve screening coverage and facilitate timely cancer diagnosis.

To interpret medical records to maintain a cancer data base that enables the accurate tracking of patient care and progression through the cancer pathway for review by practices and the PCN.

Work both directly and indirectly with patients and their carers to help navigate patients through the early part of the cancer diagnostic pathway. To improve patient compliance and experience, ensuring that all patients are signposted to /or receive information on their referral -including safety netting advice.

To ensure patients continue to be monitored and supported post treatment completion, supporting the patient and their family for post treatment rehabilitation where necessary.

Ability to input information accurately and in a timely manner and to work to tight deadlines.

Be responsible for identifying and resolving delays in the patient pathway, looking at diagnostic test dates and outpatient appointments. Where this is not possible, ways forward are to be discussed with the practice/PCN.

Adaptable and flexible to differing operational frameworks of individual practice and patient needs.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities

To assist the Primary Care Network (PCN) in delivering improvements to the services we provide our patients in relation to the following aspects of patient care - Participation in national cancer screening programmes.

Ensuring robust and supportive referral practices are in place for patients suspected of having cancer; including use of guidelines, professional development, and safety netting of those referred.

In support of collaborative working the post holder will form productive and supportive relationships with practice staff who have the skills, knowledge and remit to contribute to this work. e.g., GP practice non clinical cancer champions, social prescribers, pharmacists, secretaries etc.

The post holder will assist the PCN constituent practices to evaluate their screening uptake and engage hard to reach populations and to reduce health inequalities. This will include working alongside practices to enhance processes to track and follow-up screening non-responders.

Take forward proactive monitoring and tracking of patients suspected or confirmed of having a cancer diagnosis ensuring that their journey is processed in a timely and efficient manner, in line with Cancer Waiting Time Targets.

Provide advice and support to practices on cancer audit/referral review of cancer diagnoses. To work with practices to collate the learning from case reviews to identify any trends or learning.

Develop with core staff across the PCN consistent safety netting approaches/systems to monitoring patients who have been referred urgently with suspected cancer or for further investigations to exclude the possibility of cancer.

Provide the PCN with support to host peer-to-peer learning events that look at data and trends in diagnosis and screening across a Network. Including appropriate contributors from other organisations

Source appropriate resources, training, system examples from appropriate organization such as the Cancer Alliance, Cancer Research UK, Macmillan, and local authority partners.

Be a point of contact for PCN member Practices to develop and implement their cancer screening improvement action plans.

Create a Library of PCN data packs and other resources to support the delivery of information to patients in a wide variety of formats to meet the needs of all patient groups, including those with Learning Disabilities, and people for whom English is not a first language.

Review practice coding for report building and templates to ensure consistency across the PCN and accuracy of data. Identify coding anomalies and liaise with Ardens (template and reports used by all member practices).

Provide administrative support for project evaluation and feedback.

To provide, receive and analyse information of a clinical and statistical nature, to support the development of key workstreams to improve screening coverage and facilitate timely cancer diagnosis.

To interpret medical records to maintain a cancer data base that enables the accurate tracking of patient care and progression through the cancer pathway for review by practices and the PCN.

Work both directly and indirectly with patients and their carers to help navigate patients through the early part of the cancer diagnostic pathway. To improve patient compliance and experience, ensuring that all patients are signposted to /or receive information on their referral -including safety netting advice.

To ensure patients continue to be monitored and supported post treatment completion, supporting the patient and their family for post treatment rehabilitation where necessary.

Ability to input information accurately and in a timely manner and to work to tight deadlines.

Be responsible for identifying and resolving delays in the patient pathway, looking at diagnostic test dates and outpatient appointments. Where this is not possible, ways forward are to be discussed with the practice/PCN.

Adaptable and flexible to differing operational frameworks of individual practice and patient needs.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Previous admin and clerical experience within the NHS or similar field.
  • IT literate with data analysis skills with knowledge and experience of using a range of data bases or patient information systems.
  • Able to build network links with external organisations.
  • Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology.
  • Excellent organisational skills.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of primary care EMIS system would be preferred but is not essential.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Previous admin and clerical experience within the NHS or similar field.
  • IT literate with data analysis skills with knowledge and experience of using a range of data bases or patient information systems.
  • Able to build network links with external organisations.
  • Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology.
  • Excellent organisational skills.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of primary care EMIS system would be preferred but is not essential.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Blackpool South Primary Care Network

Address

South Shore Primary Care Centre

Lytham Road

Blackpool

FY4 1TJ


Employer's website

https://blackpoolsouthpcn.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Blackpool South Primary Care Network

Address

South Shore Primary Care Centre

Lytham Road

Blackpool

FY4 1TJ


Employer's website

https://blackpoolsouthpcn.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

PCN Manager

Andrea Latus

andrea.latus@nhs.net

07841633405

Details

Date posted

26 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

W0002-25-0001

Job locations

South Shore Primary Care Centre

Lytham Road

Blackpool

FY4 1TJ


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