The role of a Cancer Pathway Navigator
Cancer Pathway Navigators are administrative, patient facing roles that work as part of a team to support patients who have been referred from their GP and places on the two-week suspected cancer pathway for a possible cancer diagnosis. The navigators assist with appointment arrangements, provide advice and reassurance and ensure that patients move through the stages of the cancer diagnostic pathway as quickly and seamlessly as possible. They are the first point of contact for patients over telephone and email. They will follow up test results, book biopsy and clinic appointments, organise the waiting list, and work with other health professionals in the cancer team to make sure everything is in place for follow-up appointments.
With eight different departments involved in a cancer pathway, the navigator role was created to link everything together and ensure that no patient is lost in the system, or waiting longer than necessary for appointments, tests, or results.
Meet Bev, Gynaecological Cancer Pathway Navigator at North Bristol NHS Trust
Bev took up the new role of Gynaecological Cancer Pathway Navigator in July 2024, having worked as a receptionist in the antenatal clinic and prior to that, 20 years at David Lloyd. With a background rooted in patient-facing and customer service roles, this role was a significant shift for Bev as much of her work now happens behind the scenes – coordinating care, managing pathways and identifying delays. Yet, her driving force remains the same: helping people and making sure they receive the care they need, when they need it.
Putting patients at the centre of performance
A central focus of Bev’s work is ensuring the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard is met, not just as a performance measure for the Trust but as a meaningful standard for patients. As Bev puts it, “Behind every number is a patient sat at home waiting for answers.”
When Bev started, performance against the standard was just 28.9% (2023 – 2024). Through close collaboration, persistence and detailed tracking, this rose to 57% in 2024/25 and now stands at 74.5%, meeting the national target for patients to receive a diagnosis within two weeks of their first GP appointment.
Bev works closely with cancer nurses, consultants and administrative teams and is based within the gynaecology admin team alongside the waiting list team. She provides quarterly updates to consultants, highlighting current performance and identifying where changes can help improve flow through the pathway.
Each week. Bev attends multidisciplinary cancer services meetings, reviewing every patient on the two-week referral pathway. Together with colleagues, she looks in detail at where delays may be occurring, whether in pathology, scanning, clinic letters or booking processes, and takes action to ensure no one slips through the cracks. Currently, around 268 patients are on the two-week pathway at any one time, with approximately 5% receiving a cancer diagnosis.
In addition, Bev manages a hyperplasia (precancer) tracker. Hyperplasia of the womb can develop into cancer if not treated, so patients are placed on a surveillance pathway managed by gynaecological nurses. Bev ensures these patients are followed up every six months, until they receive two negative biopsies. There are currently around 170 patients on this surveillance list.
Supporting patients through their diagnosis
A vital part of Bev’s role is managing the dedicated patient phone line during office hours. On average, she receives around 3 calls a day, covering anything from appointment queries and next steps to patients feeling unwell or needing reassurance. Many patients call shortly after receiving a diagnosis, wanting clarification or simply to understand what comes next.
Bev understands first hand that the waiting for results is often the hardest part, particularly for women who are so often the organisers and carers within the family, having been through cancer herself 15 years ago. Her support helps patients feel less alone during a deeply uncertain time, and she regularly promotes the Trusts wellbeing centre as an additional source of support.
Bev describes herself as someone who loves investigating and finding gaps in the systems. “I’ve been on the other side,” she says. “You want to know that you are being looked after and tracked – not lost.”
Bev is now training to become an ACCEND Champion, keen to encourage others to consider career changes into cancer services roles that make a real difference. For Bev, the role is about perseverance, building strong relationships, and above all, being a people person.
“Being diagnosed with cancer can be a very lonely time,” she says. “But reassurance, clear communication and knowing that someone is keeping an eye on things can make all the difference.”
Find out more about careers in cancer via the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development (ACCEND) Programme
