Introducing the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Cancer Programme Team

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Introducing the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Cancer Programme Team

The newly established Cancer Programme Team has been appointed to take forward the effective implementation of a high profile whole system strategy for transforming cancer services across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (STW).

The Integrated Care System Cancer Strategy mirrors the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan and within STW we now have the opportunity to strengthen whole cancer pathways, implementing the change which will set them onto a sustainable footing.

Supported by Dr Katy Lewis, Clinical Lead, the team will work with partners from local authority, primary and secondary care, the voluntary sector and regional colleagues in order to take forward key and collaborative programmes which will make a difference to cancer care provision in the county.

Chris Ashworth, Cancer Programme Lead

I’ve worked in the NHS for over 40 years, initially training as a nurse and going on to work in roles across education, governance, QI and operational and performance management.

A period of time within commissioning equipped me with a greater understanding of the entire NHS system and then my most recent role was as Operations Director for one of the specialised commissioned services within Manchester.

I’ve spent the majority of my professional lifetime in the Greater Manchester area and so stepping into Shropshire with its beautiful countryside has been a complete revelation.

My role is to provide oversight and leadership to the NHS STW Cancer team led programmes spanning the entire system which will deliver on the Long Term Plan ambitions for Cancer for the residents of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

It’s a unique opportunity to bring together system partners and drive forward targeted pieces of work.

Marie Claire Wigley, Deputy Lead Cancer Programme

I have worked in the STW system for over 20 years, starting in SaTH as a nurse and then from 2017 worked in the improvement team there.

I moved to NHS STW in 2022 to support transformation work in elective care and joined the newly formed Cancer team as Deputy Lead at the start of this year.

Alongside leading and supporting the team with Chris, I am focussing on the dermatology urgent suspected Cancer pathway, in particular securing the telederm service for STW.

In addition, I will be working on the brain urgent suspected Cancer pathway, radiotherapy and the GRAIL trial.

Loraine Mahachi, Senior Quality Lead

I’ve worked in the NHS for 25 years, predominantly in secondary care.

Throughout my career, I have been deeply involved in providing exceptional care to patients referred along Cancer pathways, consistently striving for high-quality outcomes.

In my current capacity as a Senior Quality Lead for Cancer, my primary objective is to forge collaborative partnerships with system partners to promote the ambitions outlined in the NHS Long-Term Plan.

By aligning our efforts, we aim to enhance Cancer outcomes and services, focusing on improving quality of life and patient experience, while mitigating variations and inequalities.

I am dedicated to be collaborating closely with system partners in enhancing our quality assurance processes. Our collective focus will be on monitoring and evaluating the patient experience within Cancer services, conducting comprehensive reviews of all tumour site pathways to identify opportunities for quality and service enhancements.

Sophie Yeomans, Transformation Partner

I recently joined the Cancer Programme team at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin as Cancer Transformation Partner.

In the past, I have held various roles related to public health and adult social care commissioning. More recently, my roles have focused on the early diagnosis agenda and primary care more broadly.

My project areas here at NHS STW focus on the suspected Cancer pathways for gynaecology, breast, and head and neck, along with workstreams relating to prevention.

Over the coming months, I will largely be focusing on projects which support the interface between primary and secondary care providers, facilitating the implementation of additional pathways which will support access to Cancer pathways, and working with system colleagues to improve uptake of Cancer screening, and related vaccinations across the local population.

David Whiting, Transformation Partner

I’m more or less an NHS lifer and have worked in the local health system for over 20 years.

My local experience includes managing the stop smoking service, commissioning Cancer services and performance management.

I am really looking forward to being a part of the new team and I will be concentrating primarily on the colorectal and lung pathways, supporting the interface between primary and secondary care and refinement of referrals.

Dave Hilton, Cancer Analyst

I work closely with the Cancer Programme team, taking responsibility for the creation of system-level numerical plans for operational services and specific transformation programmes. I create, adjust and amend numerical plans as they progress. 

I also provide advice and guidance to the Elective Care, Cancer & Diagnostics team, system and NHS STW colleagues on data modelling, information and data analysis to support strategic and operational business planning and monitor delivery of those plans. 

Working alongside Elective Care Cancer & Diagnostic colleagues, I help identify and deliver appropriate cancer information to support demonstration of benefits to be realised from cancer programmes, and evidence business cases for new programmes - helping to support the embedding of business intelligence at the heart of all analysis and reporting activity.

Sonja Corfield, Project Support Officer

I lived in the Middle East for almost 10 years predominantly working in financial services and construction projects.

I moved back to the UK in 2020 and joined NHS STW in 2021 with the Performance & Planning Team.

I was seconded into the Transformation Team in September 2023 as a Project Support Officer for the Elective Care portfolio, gaining some essential experience with the Cancer pathways. I joined the new Cancer Programme team in January 2024.