Shape our strategy for 2026 to 2031

Context

Cancer care is always advancing. New treatments mean many people now live longer and stay on treatment for longer. 

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has long been at the forefront of cancer care. We lead where others follow – we think about what services people will need in the future and then we develop them. We are also a leading research centre with particular expertise in cancer vaccines. 

We have achieved what we set out to achieve in our strategy for 2021 to 2026. Now we need to develop our plans for the next five years.

We also need to reflect national and local health strategies including:

10 Year Health Plan for England

This sets out 3 core shifts:

• From hospital to community (more care outside hospital)
• From analogue to digital (less paper, more online)
• From sickness to prevention (helping people stay healthy)

National Cancer Plan

This has 3 key ambitions for cancer services in England:

• Achieve the cancer waiting times standards by 2029, ensuring quicker diagnosis and timely treatment
• Become a global leader in cancer survival by 2035, with 3 in 4 people cancer-free or thriving 5 years after diagnosis
• Improve quality of life for people living with cancer

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Strategic Commissioning Framework 

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust (CCC) is one of the UK’s leading cancer centres. We serve a population of 2.4m people across Cheshire and Merseyside, and the surrounding areas including North Wales and the Isle of Man.

We are one of the largest providers of specialised cancer treatments. Our unique model means more than 97% of patients can have their care within 45 minutes of home. 

We have long been innovators and are proud of our history leading the way on tomorrow’s cancer care:

• We were the first UK cancer centre to pioneer treatment at home by specialist chemotherapy nurses. 
• We developed the UK’s first specialist immuno-toxicities service providing expert support for patients with side effects from immunotherapies. 
• We are national leaders in the development of cancer vaccines and have research partnerships with The Royal Marsden as well as Liverpool trusts. 
• We have led the way nationally on developing specialist urgent and emergency cancer care pathways, including a 24/7 Hotline.
• Recognising the importance of early diagnosis, we were the first UK cancer centre to open a community diagnostic centre (CDC). Paddington CDC offers tests including CT, MRI, teledermatology, ultrasound and sleep studies.
• Our work is supported by the independent Clatterbridge Cancer Charity. 

Our locations

We deliver care at 13 locations across Cheshire and Merseyside including:

• CCC-Aintree                    
• CCC-Liverpool                
• CCC-Wirral     
• Clatterbridge Paddington Health Hub 
• Halton
• Ormskirk

Our Clatterbridge in the Community team of chemotherapy / SACT nurses provide treatment in patients’ homes and workplaces. We also serve the Isle of Man. 

The map shows all our cancer centres, treatment clinics, and outpatient clinics. 

Our strategy for 2021 to 2026 set a range of ambitions that we have achieved, along with new opportunities. They include:

• Bringing new, highly-specialised services such as CAR-T therapy to Cheshire and Merseyside for the first time.
• Significantly expanding our research programme with a new early-phase trials unit, internationally-recognised work on cancer vaccines and increased commercial studies. More patients than ever can now join our clinical trials.  
• Opening a Community Diagnostic Centre in an area with high deprivation, making it easier for those most in need to access health tests and scans. 
• Investing in the latest technology and medical equipment so patients can benefit from the most advanced care. This includes two new Halcyon with HyperSight linacs and the UK’s first Biograph Trinion PET-CT scanner. 
• Expanding our subsidiaries to generate savings for the NHS, and increased private income that we reinvested back into NHS care. 
• Reducing health inequalities in survival for common cancers such as breast and lung. 
• Improving cancer outcomes across Cheshire and Merseyside through our work with the Cancer Alliance, Diagnostics programme and other partners.
• Developing our new values with staff, involving them through our Big Conversations and launching our annual Staff Excellence Awards (now in their fifth year).
• Listening to staff feedback and making changes. Examples include the brand-new staff areas we developed at CCC-Wirral (incl offices and a staff lounge) and a new, award-winning staff appraisal system. 

We have drafted a new mission statement and new objectives for our strategy for 2026 to 2031. We developed our values with staff and patients in 2022 – we have no plans to change them. 

Draft mission statement

Our mission as a specialist cancer centre is:

To transform the cancer experience through compassionate, world-class care and groundbreaking research in collaboration with the people we serve. 

Values

We are:

• Kind
• Empowered
• Responsible
• Inclusive

Draft objectives

Our 5 strategic objectives for 2026 to 2031 are:

• Be outstanding
• Be collaborative
• Be a great place to work 
• Be visionary research leaders
• Be digital and innovative 

You can read more about each objective (and what it will include) in the following sections.         

We aim for excellence in everything we do. Our patients tell us that we consistently provide exceptional clinical care and patient experience. Our challenge now is to make an even greater difference in coming years so people live better and longer after a cancer diagnosis. We also plan to reduce inequalities in cancer care.

What we plan to do:  

1.    Deliver truly person-centred care

We will do this by:

• Giving patients a leading voice, helping us innovate and continually improve.
• Using health inequalities data to proactively identify and support people who are not accessing the services they need. 
• Rolling out our ‘CCCare’ (CCC Accreditation for the Recognition of Excellence) quality mark scheme across all our services. CCCare is already in place across all our inpatient wards. 
• Using modern digital tools including the NHS App to make it easier for people to access our services and manage their care. 

2.    Put learning into practice to drive innovation and improvement

We will do this by:

• Having a clear focus on making a positive difference.
• Embedding quality improvement (QI) into everything we do, training all staff in QI and using recognised QI methodology to measure improvements we make.
• Giving staff the time and opportunity to lead change in their areas.
• Sharing learning across our organisation and with other organisations. 

3.    Deliver outstanding performance

We will do this by:

• Supporting patients to have their care closer to home and outside hospital, where clinically safe. 
• Expanding our Ambicare service which allows patients to have their treatment as day patients, with wraparound support at home, instead of being admitted to hospital for several days.
• Offering patients treatment in the most convenient form for them – for example, as a quick injection instead of a long infusion (drip) in hospital.  
• Continuing our pioneering work on urgent and emergency cancer care, so fewer people with cancer end up in A&E. 
• Giving patients more control over their follow-up care, only coming to hospital when they need it. We already do this for some cancers but will roll it out across all specialties. 

4.    Provide an outstanding care environment 

We will do this by: 

• Upgrading and complete modernisation of our Halton treatment unit (currently known as CANTreat), creating more space for patients. 
• Developing a brand-new chemotherapy / SACT treatment unit at CCC-Wirral, making it truly fit for the future. 

5.    Use our money wisely for the greatest benefit

We will do this by:

• Continuing to measure and improve our efficiency and effectiveness. 
• Investing in technology and facilities that will benefit patient care. This includes highly-advanced medical equipment such as scanners and linacs, as well as digital innovations.
• Seeking additional funding that aligns with our strategy and investment plans – for example, newly-commissioned NHS services or innovative partnerships. 
• Continuing to strengthen our subsidiaries and private clinic – the profits are reinvested back into our NHS services. 
• Working towards Advanced Foundation Trust (AFT) status.

6.    Have a positive social impact

We will do this by:

• Further expansion of our Green Plan and sustainability programme to deliver net zero. 
• Actively working to reduce health inequalities in everything we do.
• Fulfilling our role as an anchor institution, including providing routes into work and meaningful careers for local people. 

7.    Meet the highest standards for our regulators

We will do this by:

• Continuing our strong performance on national standards. 
• Retaining or improving on our CQC rating of ‘Good’. 
• Embedding a culture of compassionate and inclusive leadership so all staff at CCC feel valued and have freedom to speak up. 

Ambicare: Aaron’s story

Aaron needed treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Patients usually stay in hospital overnight for this treatment but, thanks to our Ambicare service, Aaron could go home each night and spend time with his young daughter.

His clinical team monitored him closely and he had rapid access to hospital care if he became unwell and needed it. “Your mental health can go down when you’re in hospital,” said Aaron. “Being able to get home gives you light at the end of the tunnel. It’s just that bit of normality. The team in Clatterbridge are worth their weight in gold and, if you have any problems at all, they’re only a phone call away.”

Our Ambicare (ambulatory care) service has saved patients more than 1,000 nights in hospital. Now we plan to expand it so more patients can benefit. 

New services

We plan to be one of the first hospitals providing new treatments approved for the NHS, including TIL therapy. Tumour infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy uses cells taken directly from a patient’s tumour. The cells are re-engineered so they attack the cancer. Our CAR-T and cellular therapies team are hugely respected nationally. 

Providing the very best cancer care involves working closely with other organisations and health professionals. We value these partnerships and collaborations that will enhance outcomes for people with cancer.

What we plan to do:

1.    Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA)

We host Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) and our Chief Executive is its senior responsible officer (SRO). Over the next 5 years we will collaborate with them to:

• Improve urgent and emergency cancer pathways across Cheshire and Merseyside and share best practice nationally.
• Redesign clinical decisions unit (CDU), urgent emergency care (UEC) and same day emergency care (SDEC) routes for people with cancer, so fewer patients need A&E cancer care.
• Lead work on cancer pathways with CMCA to enhance performance and reduce waiting times across Cheshire and Merseyside. 
• Work with CMCA and the Diagnostics programme to guarantee that all cancer patients get great care at the right time. 

2.    NHS Cheshire and Merseyside 

We will maintain our role as a strong partner in our local health system and will:

• Actively contribute to the work of Cheshire and Merseyside Provider Collaborative. 
• Continue hosting the Diagnostics programme and contribute to its work.
• Further Paddington Community Diagnostic Centre’s role reducing backlogs by providing faster access to vital tests so every patient gets timely care.
• Collaborate on digital innovations and integrated care models. 
• Take a leading role in cybersecurity and efficient drugs spending. 
• Identify and support vulnerable cancer services. 

3.    Other partnerships

We have developed excellent relationships across our local communities, regionally and nationally. We will continue to build on this and will:

• Further strengthen our close bonds with local universities to deliver significant benefits for research, education, commercial opportunities and employment.
• Remain highly active in the North West Radiotherapy Operational Delivery Network (ODN), driving innovation and research.
• Remain highly active in the North West Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) cancer clinical network. This involves important work to widen access to genomic testing and research trials, reduce inequalities, and improve the availability of specialist TYA cancer care across the North West. 
• Work closely with other Liverpool hospitals on plans for a shared electronic patient record (EPR). 
• Make our pharmacy and estates subsidiaries available to other NHS partners. 
• Seek new partnerships and opportunities that will benefit cancer care and the communities we serve. 

People are at the heart of everything we do. We only achieve excellence thanks to great teamwork and the dedication, expertise and commitment of everyone who works here. We want to continue attracting, retaining and developing the best people – locally, nationally and internationally.
 
Our new People Commitment to staff will focus on 4 priorities:
 
Developing our people: We will grow the skills, capability and leadership of our workforce to deliver high-quality, sustainable care.
 
Supporting our people: We will improve staff experience by prioritising wellbeing, flexible working, recognition and a positive working environment.
 
Building our workforce for the future: We will ensure we have the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles while supporting local communities through employment, skills and inclusive opportunities.
 
Our inclusive culture: We will create a fair, inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected and able to thrive, and reducing workforce inequalities.
 
We will do this by:

• Helping people build skills and progress in their careers through training, development, and clear career pathways.
• Improving wellbeing by supporting flexible working, promoting psychological safety, and creating a positive working environment.
• Recruiting and retaining the right people by growing local talent and improving workforce planning.
• Creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, valued and able to thrive.
• Listening to staff feedback, recognising people’s contributions and involving them in decisions.
• Reducing inequalities and improving workforce experience through fair recruitment, inclusive leadership, and a culture of belonging.

We will also continue to support the good work of our staff networks so they can make an even more valuable contribution. 

Our research and innovation shapes the future of cancer care. We are setting 5 bold aims to strengthen our position as research leaders nationally and internationally. We are particularly committed to research that will address the most pressing challenges in the communities we serve. 

What we plan to do:

1.    Strengthen access to innovative treatments

We will do this by:

• Continuing to be leading innovators on cancer vaccine research
• Using data to drive research and shape future cancer services
• Continuing our research partnerships including the Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre, Biomedical Research Centre, Clinical Research Facility and Liverpool Health Partners.

2.    Improve outcomes by using data science to tackle health inequalities 

We will do this by:

• Using AI and data science to link information from different systems – including GP records and a shared electronic patient record – to accelerate research.
• Focusing on ‘home grown’ high-volume research relevant to our local population.
• Involving a wider range of health professionals (including non-medical) in research design and delivery. 

3.    Improve the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnosis

We will do this by:

• Being one of the first to bring novel diagnostics and AI into routine clinical practice.
• Collaborating with commercial and NHS partners to support innovation in diagnostics.
• Developing biomarkers to predict how patients will respond to immunotherapy.   

4.    Empower researchers

We will do this by:

• Taking a ‘team science’ approach to research, both internally and with external partners. 
• Encouraging and supporting all staff to be research-active, and continuing to support research fellowships for resident doctors.
• Expanding our pool of investigators to a broader range of health professionals. 

5.    Lead cancer research across our healthcare system

We will do this by:

• Taking a leading role in cancer research across Cheshire and Merseyside with our regional, national and international partners.
• Building close and effective collaborations with cancer surgery researchers through joint research applications and programmes. 

We will use digital tools, data and innovation to improve quality and to accelerate research so that every person with cancer can access the right care at the right time in the right place. This will lead to greater safety, patient experience, equity and productivity. 

We will do this by:

• A shared electronic patient record (EPR) that supports real-time decision-making and information sharing across all the places we provide care. 
• Using the NHS App and other digital tools that give patients more control over accessing our services and managing their care. 
• Using data to improve performance and quality. 
• Automating and simplifying workflows where possible to give staff more time for patient care – for example, through AI tools and ambient voice technology. 
• Accelerate responsible innovation including genomics and AI-enabled diagnostics and treatment planning, with clear governance and accountability. 
• Further strengthen cybersecurity and resilience. We will also lead cybersecurity work across the Provider Collaborative. 
• Create a highly digital and innovative workforce through training and engagement so that change is owned and sustained.