Working as part of the personalised care agenda, Pathway Navigators have been shown to make a real difference to patients in the early phase of the cancer pathway as well as providing additional capacity in the teams they work within.  Pathway Navigators will meet a patient once they have been referred for investigations and support them up to the point of diagnosis. Each Pathway Navigator will work in a slightly different way responding to individual needs from explaining a procedure to helping patients navigate the system, booking appointments, signposting or providing a listening ear.

As part of the hospital team Pathway Navigators are truly valued for their role in keeping track of each patient’s progress and coordinating their care to enable a smooth journey along a pathway. They will communicate with other teams and health care professionals to follow up test results and coordinate the required appointments and procedures.

Across Wessex as part of a pilot programme our Trusts recruited a number of navigators across a range of cancer pathways and diagnostic services. In the video below one of our existing Wessex Pathway Navigators, Karen Nutkins talks about some of the skills that are required to be a Pathway Navigator, whilst Dr Alex Hicks tells us what Pathway Navigator roles mean to his team and the patients.

Wessex Pathway Navigators

With support from HEE, we funded 24 pilot navigator posts across Wessex Trusts in a range of different sites. The Trusts employed another two Pathway Navigators. All were employed on 12-month fixed term contracts and they joined the four existing respiratory navigators already in post.

Some of the activities Pathway Navigators are responsible for:

• Picking up and screening fast track referrals
• Being a first point of contact for patients over telephone and email
• Chasing investigations and results
• Tracking patients across the pathway
• Linking with other teams and departments
• Ensuring patient records and communications are kept up to dat

Learn more about the navigator role by reading our case study

Patients reported feeling reassured by the Pathway Navigators’ phone calls and supported when they have seen them in clinic, whilst colleagues informed us that their Pathway Navigator saves them time to focus on clinical and other duties. We also saw small pathway improvements with appointments being offered more quickly, scans reviewed more regularly and improved turn around time for clinic letters. You can see the project impact after one year in the Pilot report from March 2023.

Pathway Navigator training and development

Pathway Navigators are encouraged and supported to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence whilst they are in post. The Pathway Navigator Portfolio provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of a navigator whilst the development programme makes suggestions for training that will support them to meet the ACCEND capabilities for their role.

“A highlight for me is seeing patients come in and knowing I have spoken to them to inform them of their scan and that they are aware of who they can phone if they have any concerns or questions.”

Quote from one of our newly appointed Pathway Navigators

“I supported a patient attending her CT app and then to a clinic app.  She kindly gave me a thank you card and said she would not have had the CT scan if I had not been there with her.”

Quote from one of our Pathway Navigators