Expressions of interest are invited to join the National Bowel Cancer Audit (NBOCA) Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) for the following vacancy:
- Palliative Medicine Representative, England or Wales
About the National Bowel Cancer Audit (NBOCA)
NBOCA is a data-driven initiative that evaluates the quality of care for people with bowel cancer in England and Wales. NBOCA supports NHS Trusts/Local Health Boards, Cancer Alliances, and policymakers to improve outcomes for people diagnosed with bowel cancer.
NBOCA’s Quality Improvement Plan outlines five strategic goals:
- Improving the diagnostic pathway
- Improving perioperative care
- Improving oncological care
- Improving management of stage four disease
- Improving end of life care
These goals are supported by ten performance indicators, ensuring a structured approach to improving patient outcomes and care.
NBOCA utilises routinely collected NHS data. Our recently published NBOCA Quarterly Data Dashboard offers an up-to-date view of the Audit’s key performance indicators. This dashboard, along with our comprehensive State of the Nation Report (October 2025), provides a detailed overview of our current work and findings.
About the Clinical Advisory Group role
As a member of the NBOCA Clinical Advisory Group, you will have the opportunity to shape the Audit’s approach and delivery. Current membership of the Clinical Advisory Group is available to view here.
The Terms of Reference for the Clinical Reference Group are included below.
Members serve for a minimum of one year and the group meets 2-3 times a year (usually via MS Teams and occasionally in-person at RCS Offices in London). The estimated time commitment for CAG members is 2 hours per meeting plus advance reading of meeting papers. Members of the group may be consulted on the occasional matter outside the meeting cycle by email.
Eligibility
- Practising in the NHS in England or Wales.
- Possess clinical expertise in bowel cancer and ideally understand clinical data/audit methodology.
- Be able to communicate audit findings to their professional/patient network.
- Declare any conflicts of interest and adhere to relevant ethical principles regarding undue influence.
How to express interest
Expressions of interest (EoIs) should be no more than one side of A4 and include:
- A brief profile of yourself, including your credentials and any other information of relevance for the role.
- Any potential conflicts of interest.
Please send EoIs to [email protected] by midday Wednesday 25 March 2026. If you wish to find out more about the role before submitting an EoI please email [email protected] and the team will be happy to respond to questions.
Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) Terms of Reference (next review June 2026)
Context:
The National Bowel Cancer Audit is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP), and delivered jointly by the Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN).
The Clinical Effectiveness Unit holds the contract for the Audit, the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) provides project management and technical infrastructure. Clinical leadership and direction are provided by the NBOCA Clinical Leads working collaboratively with stakeholders reflecting bowel cancer MDT membership.
The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) and The Association of Cancer Physicians (ACP) are key stakeholders and provide ongoing support and advice to the audit. Additional stakeholders, representing other clinical specialties, nursing, people living with bowel cancer, the NHS and charities, contribute to the audit via membership of the Clinical Advisory Group.
The Clinical Advisory Group will:
- Represent the views of people living with bowel cancer and associated professional groups – see overleaf.
- Advise on clinical, methodological and implementation issues, including:
- Audit scope and design
- Participation of NHS providers
- Identifying and reviewing Performance Indicators
- Providing input on the interpretation of audit findings
- Reviewing and providing input to audit reports and other outputs.
- Propose and advise on Quality Improvement priorities.
- Advise on communication and publication strategies, and appropriateness of audit outputs for different audiences.
- Disseminate key updates from NBOCA and support the publicising of audit outputs to members and audience(s) of their stakeholder organisation.
Meetings & Communications:
- The Clinical Advisory Group meetings to take place three times a year via MS Teams.
- It may be necessary for members of the group to be consulted on the occasional matter outside the meeting cycle, via email or other suitable media.
- The quorum for a Clinical Advisory Group meeting will be the chair and four members (excluding the Project Team), plus at least one NBOCA Clinical Lead.
- Meeting papers will be circulated electronically in advance of the meeting.
- If members are unable to attend the meeting, they will be asked to send comments on relevant papers for discussion during the meeting and/or to arrange for a member of their representative body to deputise on their behalf.
- Discussions within the Clinical Advisory Group will be considered confidential unless otherwise indicated.
- Minutes/action points will be circulated electronically after the meeting.
Membership (as of March 2026):
- Association of Cancer Physicians (ACP)
- Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) [Represented by Research and Audit Committee Chair & Member, Cancer Sub-Committee Chair & Member, Dukes Club. Standing invitation for President]
- Bowel Cancer UK
- British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG)
- British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (BSGAR)
- Getting it right first time (GIRFT), General Surgery
- Great Britain and Ireland Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association (GBIHPBA)
- Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP)
- Lynch Syndrome UK
- National Disease Registration Service (NDRS)
- NBOCA Patient & Public Involvement Forum
- NBOCA Project Team
- National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA)
- NHS England [Representation for Cancer Programme; Cancer Data; Clinical Lead]
- NHS Wales [Representation for Cancer Programme; Cancer Data; Clinical Lead]
- Nursing
- Palliative Medicine
- The Royal College of Pathologists
- The Royal College of Radiologists [Representation for Clinical Oncology and Clinical Radiology]
- The Royal College of Surgeons of England