Closing date: 25 May 2026
These Macmillan Cancer Support-funded posts offer a unique opportunity to work at the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) within the Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng). NATCAN is a national centre of excellence dedicated to strengthening NHS cancer services and reducing variation in care. It is the home to all 10 National Cancer Audits in England and Wales. NATCAN is the largest centre evaluating cancer services in the UK, with 45 staff members, employed at the RCS or the LSTHM, from a wide range of backgrounds (medicine, statistics, epidemiology, data science, quality improvement, project management).
These posts will support a Macmillan funded partnership with NATCAN to improve understanding of how to:
- Reduce health inequities within cancer treatment and care;
- Support those with cancer and other long-term conditions;
- Reduce unwarranted variation in cancer treatment and care.
The successful candidate will complete a PhD focused on one of the following thematic areas:
- Hub and Spoke model – understanding variation in outcomes between hubs (tertiary centres) and spokes (general hospitals)
- Treatment Attrition – understanding who drops out of treatment and why
- Under-treatment and over/inappropriate treatment – understanding why some people receive less or no treatment, or treatment that differs from clinical guidance
You will work in a vibrant audit and research environment, putting you at the heart of a national team that plays a key role in improving the care that patients with cancer receive in England and Wales. It will provide you with the opportunity to contribute to high-profile peer-reviewed papers. The PhD research will aim to strengthen the relevance and robustness of the outputs from the NATCAN Audits. You will be part of a wider cohort of Macmillan Fellows working on projects to improve cancer care.
This is a unique opportunity to participate in a national quality improvement and national transformational change role centred around nine major cancers and which includes all NHS providers in England and Wales. This will enable Clinical Fellows to build skills in design and implementation of quality improvement strategies which consider all modalities of cancer treatment. These roles will likely form the basis for future NHS leadership roles in cancer care for the successful candidate.
A current Clinical Fellow in NATCAN says:
“The clinical fellowship offers a unique opportunity to work with national cancer datasets while developing a broad range of research skills. Working within a multidisciplinary team of expert clinicians, data scientists, medical statisticians, clinical epidemiologists, and patient representatives ensures that the work remains both methodologically robust and grounded in what matters most to patients.
The collaboration between the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine provides a highly supportive environment for undertaking a PhD, with access to expert clinical-academic supervision and mentorship.
Through combining formal academic training with hands-on application to ‘big data’, I have developed strong skills in clinical epidemiology. A key focus of my work has been identifying unwarranted variation in bowel cancer care and targeting areas for improvement. I have had the opportunity to support the Close It Quick Quality Improvement initiative which aims to improve care pathways for people undergoing rectal cancer surgery. This has provided opportunities to learn from QI experts and undertake formal training in QI methodology.
As a Clinical Fellow, we are supported to present our work at national and international conferences, develop high-impact publications that inform policy, and build strong professional networks. Overall, this role provides an exceptional foundation for developing as a clinical academic while making a difference to the quality of care and outcomes for patients with cancer. I cannot recommend this position highly enough.”
Responsibilities
- Exploring the thematic areas by analysing national datasets on hospital care, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- Working with cancer audit teams to translate the research findings into quality improvement plans and outputs.
- Communicating findings in conference presentations, reports and peer-reviewed publications.
- Liaising with Macmillan, other patient charities and professional bodies to publicise findings, and to represent NATCAN at regional and national meetings.
About you
We are looking for applicants with:
- Clinical experience in in a relevant discipline – Surgical/ Medical / Clinical Oncology
- Passed a Membership/ Fellowship exam of a relevant Royal College
- Good numeracy
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Good organisational abilities
- Research experience is an advantage but further training in research methods and statistical analysis will be provided