Our Metastatic Breast Cancer team and Novartis have been shortlisted for a national award for their pioneering work supporting patients with treatment-related side-effects (toxicities).
They are finalists in the ‘Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS’ category of the HSJ Partnership Awards.
In partnership with Novartis, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre piloted and subsequently established a new specialist nursing role – believed to be the first of its kind in the UK – providing focused support for patients on complex treatments for advanced / secondary (incurable) breast cancer that can have potentially life-threatening side-effects.
The role also educated staff members around problems to look out for with these treatments and how to manage them.
SACT Toxicity Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Chelcie Faulkner is there to advise and support patients, as well as educating other staff about the treatments and how to manage potential side-effects. As a result, severe toxicities have reduced, patients have been able to continue treatment, and patient experience has improved.
Consultant Medical Oncologist Professor Carlo Palmieri, who specialises in breast cancer, said:
All treatments come with some potential side-effects and sometimes they can be very serious and life threatening. Having a dedicated SACT Toxicity CNS means patients can be educated about the side-effects and what to do if they occur, as well as receiving advice or medicines to reduce their occurrence or impact.
In addition, if toxicities do occur, they have someone they can come straight to who specialises in managing them. By educating other staff members, our SACT toxicity CNS teaches other nursing colleagues to be vigilant to the side-effects as well as what to do.
SACT Toxicity CNS Chelcie Faulkner said:
My role is to educate patients and other staff members about side-effects associated with drugs used to treat advanced or secondary breast cancer, as well trying to prevent and treat them if they occur. By doing so, I help ensure that patients don’t come off treatment due to side-effects. Ensuring patients stay on effective treatments is key.
Our Lung cancer team and Roche have also been shortlisted for HSJ Partnership awards after demonstrating the benefits of giving patients an immunotherapy treatment subcutaneously (injected under the skin) instead of intravenously.
They are finalists in the ‘Best Contribution to Improving the Efficiency of NHS services’ and the ‘Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS’ categories.
Both teams will find out whether they have won at an awards ceremony on 19 March 2026. The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise collaborations between industry and the NHS.
