Christine Barber explores how having the two skill-sets working together offers patients a much better service

Strategic interest in the skill mix of the healthcare workforce has acknowledged the increasingly important role of non-registered staff, with care for cancer patients provided by teams comprising clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) at bands 6 and 7 and care co-ordinators at bands 3 and 4.

This article outlines the development and role of care co-ordinators in cancer CNS teams in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, using the example of a gynaecological oncology care co-ordinator as a case study. With the support of CNS colleagues, the Leeds care co-ordinators provide high-quality patient care through telephone and face-to-face contact and holistic needs assessments. Care co-ordinators act as named key workers for patients, developing good relationships and providing support at diagnosis, through treatment and beyond to survivorship. Patients and carers have welcomed the role and its development has enabled CNSs to focus their specialist skills on those patients requiring higher level interventions.