Call for proposals to support the roll-out of the second cohort of the inter-speciality cancer training programme

EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT

The action will increase the coverage of the inter-speciality cancer training programme across the Union, and will result in the upskilling and re-skilling of healthcare professionals in the areas of clinical oncology, surgery, radiology and radiation technology, and nursing and other specialised services, with an increase in the number of training centres engaged in theinitiative, as well as trainees and trainers. This action will help Member States to improve cooperation among their cancer services, by addressing skill gaps and better equipping the health workforce with personnel trained in cancer care.

POLICY CONTEXT

An objective of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is to build a stronger multidisciplinarycancer workforce. High-quality cancer care depends on a high-quality workforce. Patients deserve the best care possible and health professionals need support to ensure they can receive training and keep updating their skills throughout their professional lives.

The inter-speciality cancer training programme will help to deliver a more skilled and mobile cancer workforce through cross-border training and information sharing. As high-quality cancer patient’s care depends on a continuous and sustainable training and education of ahigh-quality workforce, an extended number of cancer care infrastructures across the Union, as well as of trainers and trainees will be supported by this action.

This action supports the implementation of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan objective to ensure a high-quality health workforce and implements the EU4Health Programme’s general objective of improving and fostering health in the Union (Article 3, point (a)) through the specific objectives defined in Article 4, points (a) and (g), of Regulation (EU) 2021/522.

OBJECTIVES, SCOPE AND ACTIVITIES

The aim of this action is to extend the implementation coverage of the first cohort of the inter-speciality cancer training programme through enrolling new cancer centres, as well asadditional trainees and trainers.

The action will roll-out the second cohort of trainees and, in addition, will organise a dissemination event to present the outcomes of the training. The action is expected to be complemented by the organisation of events to share the experiences developed during the training, which will also strengthen the networking of the trainees and trainers across the Union.

Specific activities will include a selection process for the trainees, trainers, and cancer centres which will participate in the inter-speciality cancer training programme. The programme is expected to train medical doctors and nurses and other specialised staff (such as thoseinvolved in medical imaging and radiation oncology including radiation technologists, medical physicists, radiobiologists, etc...) working in cancer centres in the three specialties of clinical oncology, surgery, radiology and radiation oncology with the aim of optimising the inter-speciality approach and cooperation. The training will be based on curricula previously developed ad hoc for the action and will include technology-based learning, simulations, and on-the-job training. The training programme will follow a coaching and mentoring approach with regular reporting and assessment of skills and tasks developed; case studies will be part of the training programme.