Cancer Performance Manager in Basingstoke

The Cancer Performance Manager is responsible for leading and delivering the Trust-wide cancer performance agenda, ensuring compliance with national cancer waiting time standards, quality requirements, national audits and strategic cancer objectives. The post holder will provide operational and strategic leadership for cancer performance across all tumour pathways, working in partnership with clinical leaders, operational managers, corporate teams and external stakeholders to achieve sustained improvements in patient outcomes and service performance. The post holder will lead the development, implementation and monitoring of cancer performance improvement programmes, ensuring robust governance, accurate reporting and effective pathway management. They will act as a specialist expert in cancer performance and national standards, providing assurance to senior management, Trust Boards and external organisations. The post holder will deputise for the OSM for Cancer Services on matters relating to cancer performance, cancer waiting times, pathway management and associated quality programmes.

Main duties of the job

• Strategic Leadership
  • Lead the Trust-wide cancer performance improvement agenda to ensure sustainable achievement of national standards.
  • Develop and implement cancer recovery and improvement programmes across all tumour sites.
  • Provide expert advice to clinical and operational teams regarding Cancer Waiting Time standards and national guidance.
  • Maintain a strategic overview of the national cancer agenda and ensure local services remain aligned to national policy and best practice.
  • Lead the development of annual cancer improvement plans and associated delivery trajectories.
  • Represent Cancer Services at Trust, regional and national groups and forums.
• Performance Management
  • Lead responsibility for monitoring, forecasting and reporting cancer performance against all national standards.
  • Ensure robust processes are in place for 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard, 31-day treatment, 62-day referral-to-treatment standards and management of long wait patients.
  • Oversee the delivery of accurate Cancer Waiting Time reporting to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Ensure effective escalation and management of high-risk pathways and performance concerns.
  • Produce and present performance reports to Cancer Board, Divisional Boards, Executive Committees and external bodies.
  • Lead Trust-wide cancer performance meetings and recovery groups.

The post holder will ensure that the patient remains at the centre of all cancer performance, pathway management and service improvement activity. They will work collaboratively with clinical and operational teams to deliver timely access to diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients receive high-quality, safe and compassionate care throughout their cancer journey.

• Champion a patient-centred approach to the delivery of cancer services, ensuring that operational performance improvement is aligned to the best possible patient experience and outcomes.
• Ensure cancer pathways are designed and managed to minimise delays, reduce patient anxiety and support timely diagnosis and treatment in accordance with national standards.
• Lead investigations into performance delays in care that may adversely affect cancer patients, ensuring lessons learned are translated into sustainable service improvements.
• Work collaboratively with clinical teams, Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists, Patient Experience Teams and operational managers to ensure patient feedback informs service development and pathway redesign.
• Ensure services comply with Trust standards relating to patient experience, equality, diversity and inclusion, treating all patients, carers and families with dignity, compassion and respect.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of national cancer policy, patient experience priorities and emerging best practice to support continuous improvement in cancer services.
• Support the development of services that improve equity of access, reduce variation and deliver high standards of care for all cancer patients regardless of tumour site, background or protected characteristics.
• Ensure that risks to patient safety, quality of care or patient experience identified through performance monitoring, incidents, complaints or audits are escalated appropriately and addressed through robust action plans.

Communication and Stakeholder Management

• Develop productive relationships with clinicians, operational leaders and corporate services across the Trust.
• Influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders to achieve service improvements and pathway redesign.
• Act as the principal operational point of contact for cancer performance matters.
• Represent the Trust at meetings with the Wessex Cancer Alliance, NHS England, Integrated Care Systems and other external organisations.
• Communicate highly complex performance information to a wide range of audiences, including Divisional Management, Chief Operating Officer.
• Present reports and recommendations to senior leadership teams and executive groups.

Leadership and Workforce Management

• Provide leadership and line management to cancer performance, pathway management and data management teams.
• Ensure appropriate workforce planning, succession planning and service resilience arrangements are in place.
• Lead recruitment, appraisal, training and development activities within areas of responsibility.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and professional development.
• Ensure effective staff performance management systems are implemented.
• Support the development of future leaders within Cancer Services.

Financial and Resource Management

• Delegated budgetary authority for purchase of departmental stationery etc.
• Support the OSM for Cancer Services in the management of delegated budgets.
• Identify opportunities to maximise value for money and improve productivity.
• Support development of business cases, workforce plans and investment proposals.
• Monitor resource utilisation and identify financial risks.
• Contribute to Cost Improvement Programmes where appropriate.
• Authorise expenditure within delegated authority limits.

Person Specification

• Training and Qualifications
  • Essential: Degree or equivalent experience. Evidence of continuing professional development. Management qualification or equivalent leadership experience.
  • Desirable: Postgraduate qualification. Lean, Quality Improvement, PRINCE2 or equivalent project management qualification. Leadership development programme completion.
• Experience and Knowledge
  • Essential: NHS experience. Detailed knowledge of Cancer Waiting Time standards. Understanding of national cancer strategies and policy. Knowledge of NHS performance management frameworks. Experience of leading cancer performance improvement programmes. Experience of managing staff and operational teams. Experience of analysing, interpreting and presenting complex performance information. Experience of leading service improvement and pathway redesign initiatives. Experience of producing reports for senior management and executive audiences. Experience of working across organisational boundaries and influencing stakeholders.
  • Desirable: Experience working within cancer services. Experience of business case development. Experience of budget management. Experience of regional or system-wide programme delivery.
• Skills and Ability
  • Essential: Highly developed analytical skills. Advanced communication and presentation skills. Ability to influence and negotiate at senior level. Strategic thinking and planning ability. Strong leadership and people management skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities within a complex environment. Ability to make decisions independently and exercise sound judgement.
  • Desirable: Advanced data visualisation skills. Experience using cancer information systems and reporting tools.

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.