Published on 22 November 2024
A national initiative to improve training and education for cancer care professionals instigated by Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) has been given a prestigious healthcare award.
The Supportive and Assistive Programme, supporting the current and future cancer workforce through the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development (ACCEND), won Workforce Initiative of the Year at the HSJ Awards.
The programme has given the supportive and assistive workforce – which helps cancer clinicians care for patients with the disease – transformational reform for their career pathways and associated education, training, learning and development opportunities.
Its development has been led by John Gale, a Senior Programme Manager at CMCA, who headed a team that included colleagues from the Cancer Alliance, and working with organisations within and outside the NHS.
The Health Service Journal (HSJ) said of the award win: “The judges praised this initiative’s scalability and success in transforming unregistered individuals into valued colleagues. Congratulations!”
John said: “We are delighted that this programme has been given nationwide recognition through this award and I would like to thank everyone who has assisted the programme in its development and implementation, especially Khandker Manzoor who has been instrumental in the support of this programme as a ACCEND Project Officer in CMCA.
“The NHS workforce is vital for the diagnosis, treatment, and on-going care of the over two million people currently affected by cancer. The Supportive and Assistive Workforce Programme was created to develop a framework to include training and education, and capabilities in practice to support a career pathway for the cancer support workforce.
“For the first time ever, the programme provides a consistent way to optimise the contribution for this important and growing part of the cancer workforce across the UK. The programme’s resources build capacity, and capability, enabling safer, more effective, and productive care.”
Jon Hayes, CMCA Managing Director, said: “Huge congratulations to John and his team for this rightful recognition of how transformational the programme has been in cancer care across the country.
“Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, through the dedication of John, led this initiative from the start as we realised how important the supportive and assistive workforce is in delivering world-class cancer care to a growing number of patients who are being treated with, and living beyond, this disease.”
For more information on the ACCEND programme see: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/cancer-diagnostics/aspirant-cancer-career-education-development-programme