The 2026 National Cancer Plan transforms oncology nursing by shifting Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) to Neighbourhood Health Services. For specialist nurses, this change requires more independent chemotherapy delivery in the community. They must also master real-time digital Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). Additionally, they need to work closely with four new national aseptic medicine hubs that will start by 2027.
Albie Parsons, Business Manager for Specialist Nursing at Your World, comments:
"The 2026 National Cancer Plan is not just a policy change. It is a complete rethinking of the oncology nurse's work setting.
We are seeing a move away from the traditional ward-based model toward a community based approach. At Your World, our focus is on ensuring our chemotherapy and oncology specialists are prepared. We are supporting them in their careers as they take on more clinical leadership roles. This plan validates the expertise of the Specialist Nurse as key in a patient’s journey."
The Neighbourhood Shift: SACT Delivery
The National Cancer Plan mandates a radical decentralisation of cancer care, moving treatment into patients' homes and local hubs. For agency chemotherapy nurses, this means they need to make more independent clinical decisions. They also need to be skilled in mobile SACT administration. The NHS plans to treat cancer as a long-term community condition by 2035.
The government’s commitment to saving 320,000 more lives by 2035 hinges on the "neighbourhood health service" model. For the specialist nurse, the hospital ward is no longer the primary theatre of care.
- Autonomous Practice: Agency staff must now show skill in safety outside of clinical settings. They need to keep strict cleanliness standards at home.
- Entity Salience: Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are the main groups that plan these community-led pathways. Nurses need to know about local ICB rules, not just Trust-level protocols.
- Named Care Leads: From 2026, every patient is guaranteed a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or "named lead" to navigate their care journey.
Aseptic Revolution: The £80m Hub Expansion
By 2027, four modern aseptic medicine production hubs will centralise SACT production using advanced automation. This investment helps provide a more reliable drug supply for oncology departments. It allows nurses to focus on direct patient care and "prehabilitation" instead of medication preparation and delays in administration.
The investment in these hubs includes a main facility in Seaton Delaval that costs £29.7 million. This shows a shift towards "Ready-to-Administer" (RtA) doses.
- Workforce Impact: As automation takes over high-volume production, the chemotherapy nurse's role changes. They now focus on monitoring patients closely and providing holistic support.
- Efficiency Gains: Faster processing allows agency staff to handle more active patient lists. This requires quick assessment skills as "straight-to-test" pathways speed up the patient journey.
Digital Fluency: The NHS App as a Clinical Tool
By 2028, the NHS App will serve as the "front door" for cancer care, integrating Single Patient Records and real-time side-effect monitoring. Oncology nurses will use digital dashboards to react to PROMs (Patient Reported Outcome Measures), shifting care from episodic consultations to data-driven, continuous intervention.
- Single Patient Record: This "single version of the truth" makes sure you can access a patient's full history. Whether you are on an agency shift in London or at a rural hub, you have immediate access. This reduces administrative issues.
- NMC Revalidation Tip: Nurses should write down how they use these digital tools. This should be part of their "Practice-related feedback" for revalidation. It shows their skill in the new "analogue-to-digital" shift required by the 10-Year Health Plan.
Working with Your World Nursing
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) recently pointed out that this plan's success relies on the "named lead" model. This model is the Clinical Nurse Specialist.
We are seeing a 15% increase in "Specialist Lead" locum bookings. If you hold a postgraduate oncology qualification, your "Information Gain" as a clinician is currently at a premium.
Discuss Your Future in the 2026 Cancer Landscape
The National Cancer Plan creates unprecedented opportunities for specialist nurses to lead the shift toward community-based, digital-first care. Whether you are looking for autonomous SACT roles in the new neighbourhood hubs or want to leverage your CNS expertise as a "named lead," we are here to discuss your 2026 career strategy.
Speak with our Specialist Nursing Teamtoday to discuss and explore our latest Oncology roles.
