Summary

Following the addition of a new chemotherapy to the treatment standards for patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS), The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre worked with Lilly UK to halve the amount of time patients spent in hospital and free up consultant time which improved the efficiency of their chemotherapy clinic.

Project outline and outcome

In 2018, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated their treatment standards for metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The new regimen involved the addition of a new chemotherapy drug to the existing standard single agent therapy, requiring patients to spend more time in hospital receiving treatment. Lilly UK collaborated with the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre on a joint project which identified a need to improve the efficiency and patient experience of the chemotherapy service and minimise the time patients would spend attending the clinic.

Working together, we analysed patient flow and sought to understand more about patients’ treatment journeys. We then used this information to identify systemic issues that were causing disruption to treatment plans and develop a new process for patients. A new nurse-led service saw patients receive care from a single specialist nurse and resulted in patients’ time in hospital decreasing by an average of 53.6%, saving patients an average of 4 hours 34 minutes per visit. The partnership not only improved patients’ experience and care but also resulted in efficiencies for the centre as empowering nurses to lead the system reduced the demand on consultant time. The process mapping and development of data collection plans involved in this project helped develop a core partnership model that can be adapted for use across any clinical pathway.