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Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service

Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service
Online Course, 5 CPD hours
Wed 25 Mar 2026

With pressure growing and resources being stretched, this course was created to uncover how to improve your capacity

Designed for SACT professionals, this interactive training day enabled the attendees to step back and reassess their services, enabling them to create a viable plan for improved capacity management. 

Key learning outcomes

This study provided the elements necessary to create an action plan and start tackling demand pressures head on:

  •     Understanding the national capacity conclusions and service implications
  •     Enhancing prioritisation, productivity and preservation in your SACT team
  •     Improving efficiency by effectively reviewing your service and treatment pathways
  •     Utilising capacity and demand modelling to ensure targeted developments
  •     Achieving tangible improvements in your protocol and prescribing systems

Developed with convenience in mind

Participants took away useful techniques and new processes to manage demand and optimise capacity:

  • Evidenced based examples and knowledge implementation: national guidance, concise tips and implementable tools  
  • Interactive presentations: opportunity to ask critical questions and learn from the lessons of your leading expert
  • Closed room discussions: benchmark and share your experiences with your fellow attendees
  • Agreed action plan: leave the course with confidence to make changes to your service

Exclusive opportunity

This event was free to attend for Trusts within West Midlands Cancer Alliance.

Learning & development

Oncology National Networking Forums are pleased to be featured as part of the ACCEND Framework

The ePortfolio platform is available via the Greater Manchester Cancer Academy and supports professional development in cancer care.

This forum and all of our events are mapped to the ACCEND Framework and can be recorded in the ACCEND ePortfolio to help you evidence your learning, reflections and competencies.

To find out more, click on the ACCEND tab.

9:30
Joining, technical support and instructions
10:00
Chair’s opening remarks
Samantha Toland, Lead Chemotherapy Nurse, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
National SACT updates
10:10
Understanding the national conclusions and implications: what can be done?
  • Exploring the findings from the SACT capacity task workforce
  • Reducing the demand: assessing appropriateness for treatment and implementing shared decision making
10:30
Questions and answers with Samantha Toland
Workforce upgrades
10:40
Enhancing workforce management and prioritisation to improve capacity in your unit
  • Supporting your team by increasing the use of virtual and digital tools
  • Implementing competency assessment and training reviews: how can this help?
  • Improving investment in your team and managing retention effectively
11:10
Questions and answers with Samantha Toland
11:20
Interactive discussion: Share good practice and discover what others are doing to support their team’s capacity
  • What is the capacity currently within your team?
  • What are you implementing to improve efficiency?
  • How are you supporting your workforce to improve retention?
11:50
Screen break
Innovative working
12:00
Reviewing your service and treatment pathways to enhance efficiency
  • Exploring digital tools which can support your service productivity
  • Improving patient appointment management: combining appointments
  • Streamlining your pathways: reviewing drug and blood processes
12:30
Questions and answers with Samantha Toland
12:40
Interactive discussion: Reviewing your pathways to increase efficiency
  • Share your current challenges within your pathways: When is delivery being held up?
  • What are you doing to overcome these challenges and streamline your service?
1:10
Lunch break
Capacity and demand modelling
1:40
Understanding the bigger picture: how efficient is your service and how can you improve it?
  • The benefits of an overview of capacity for your chemo unit: what level are you working at?
  • Navigating your resource capacity: what does this mean for you?
  • Demonstrating action for change: what will work to improve capacity in your service?
2:10
Questions and answers with Samantha Toland
2:20
Interactive discussion: Work through scenarios to demonstrate service improvements
  • How could capacity and demand modelling support you in your service development?
  • What actions can you take to work towards broader efficiency in your service?
2:50
Screen break
Protocols and prescribing systems
3:00
Boosting efficiency of your protocol and prescribing systems
  • Reviewing your prescribing systems: how to increase productivity in the pathway
  • Exploring productivity of your protocols: making effective and implementable changes
  • Real-world examples explored: how changes to your systems lead to tangible improvements
3:30
Questions and answers with Samantha Toland
3:40
Interactive group discussion: reflection and action points explored
  • What will you take away from today that you can implement in your role and wider team?
  • How will you make the steps towards improving capacity in your SACT service?
4:10
Closing remarks and close of day

Sharing in first-hand experience

Samantha Toland is an experienced speaker and lecturer who has previously been described by attendees as ‘especially engaging’ and ‘very inspiring’. At this interactive workshop, those in attendance benefitted first-hand from her extensive experience within oncology nursing. 

Samantha Toland

Lead Chemotherapy Nurse
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Biography

Free to attend

This training conference was free to attend for Trusts within West Midlands Cancer Alliance.

Please contact Nichola Cadwallader with your enquiries. 

Who came?

With capacity at the forefront of everyone’s mind, this was the time to come together with fellow SACT professionals to get new ideas to drive your service forward. This course was designed to meet the needs of all experience levels.

This event was only for NHS Trusts within West Midlands Cancer Alliance, which included:

  • Birmingham Women’s & Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
  • George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
  • Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
  • South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust
  • The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
  • The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
  • The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
  • The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
  • The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
  • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
  • University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
  • University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
  • Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
  • Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
  • Wye Valley NHS Trust

Past attendee feedback

With over 1300 professionals taking part in our online oncology events in the past 4 years, our focused online forums have received excellent feedback – but don’t take our word for it!

"Really informative, very friendly cohort, great opportunity to share (and steal) ideas"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, December 2025
"Really well organised lots of great information"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, December 2025
"Sam was very knowledgeable and passionate about the content. Really approachable speaker and very engaging"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, December 2025
"Sam was friendly honest and interesting - wasn't just giving us numbers and figures was clear how much she cared about her staff and proactive at implementing positive changes"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, December 2025
"Thank you for a great day it will really help me in driving forward with my team"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, December 2025
"Extremely informative and relevant to current challenges. Excellent way of sharing good practice"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, June 2024
"Was unsure how online would work but worked really well and I found not having to travel beneficial. The event leader led the day really well and encouraged interaction and conversation"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, June 2024
"Amazing course, I have taken so much away from today that I will be able to take forward in my own trust and department"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, June 2024
"The day went very well. No issues with technical aspects. Each sections I felt was of the right length & factoring a few breaks throughout the day was good"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, June 2024
"Excellent presentations"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, June 2024
"Very thought provoking"
- Boosting Capacity in your Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Service, June 2024
"Extremely informative, some good ideas to take forward into our area.”
- Providing Personalised Care and Support Planning, November 2023
“Excellent speakers with a real passion for lung cancer, reassuring that we all have the problems no matter where we work.”
- Progressing your Lung Cancer Service, September 2023
“It was brilliant to hear about progress and setbacks experienced by colleagues across the UK.”
- Establishing Acute Oncology SDEC, September 2023
“Very informative, makes you more aware of how other trusts work, well delivered, certainly gives confidence to explore your triage assessments and how to gain more knowledge and different ideas for triage.”
- Oncology Nurse-led Telephone Triage Assessment, April 2023
“A brilliant study day - very educational.”
- Enhancing your MUO/CUP Pathways, March 2023
“The presentations are so helpful and will help manage patients in clinical practice.”
- Identifying and Treating Immuno-Oncology (IO) Adverse Effects, December 2022

View further comments on Oncology National Networking Forums on Trust Pilot.

Course funding

The West Midlands Cancer Alliance has fully funded this course, enabling eligible healthcare professionals from the below provider Trusts only to access this training at no cost 

  • University Hospitals Birmingham Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
  • Birmingham Women's & Children's NHS Foundation Trust 
  • University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust 
  • George Eliot Hospital Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 
  • Wye Valley NHS Trust Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals 
  • Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt 
  • University Hospital North Midlands 
  • Royal Wolverhampton Trust 
  • Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 
  • Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust 
  • The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust 

Our education commitment

The West Midlands Cancer Alliance is committed to developing a skilled, confident and compassionate cancer workforce equipped to meet the needs of our diverse population, now and in the future. We inspire excellence in cancer education, build capability across the whole cancer pathway, and champion inclusive learning for every role. By sharing knowledge and developing future leaders, we strengthen our workforce and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.

Implementing the ACCEND framework

Telephone triage training builds confident assessment, decision making and communication skills whilst the expanding capacity within SACT services supports the development of technical competence, workload management and progression across key capability domains. Compassionate and supportive leadership training strengthens reflective practice and people centred leadership behaviours, enabling staff to evidence professional values and development within the ePortfolio. All of the WMCA commissioned training aligns to the Greater Manchester ePortfolio and ACCEND framework for development. 

Partnering for impact

Our partnership with SBK Healthcare ensures access to high impact, practice focused education that strengthens services now and prepares our teams for the future of personalised, digital cancer care.

About the ACCEND Framework

The ACCEND Framework is designed to enhance cancer care by providing a structured approach to education and professional development for healthcare professionals.

  • It defines the essential Cancer Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) and offers a tailored educational structure to support progression at every stage of a cancer care career.
  • Launched in January 2023, the framework aims to transform career pathways and improve training and development opportunities across the cancer workforce.
  • It provides access to the education and training needed to meet role-specific competencies and includes dedicated resources for nurses, allied health professionals and those in cancer-related support roles.
  • The ACCEND Framework delivers a nationally agreed career and education structure underpinned by clearly defined capabilities in practice.

Map your learning

All Oncology National Networking Forum courses listed on the ACCEND Greater Manchester ePortfolio are fully aligned with the ACCEND Framework.

You can easily log your attendance and map your learning to the Cancer Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) through the ACCEND Greater Manchester ePortfolio.

To do this:

  • Register and log in to the Greater Manchester ePortfolio
  • Click ‘Add Entry’
  • Select 'Choose an item from the library'
  • Change the provider to Oncology National Networking Forums
  • Choose the relevant event you have attended (or plan to attend)

This tool offers a central space to track your professional development, reflections and achievements - supporting your ongoing career in cancer care.

Click here to access the Greater Manchester ePortfolio