From NICE approval to real‑world access—why engaging Cancer Alliances and ICBs is the fastest, fairest route

The problem A NICE TA is a green light, not a go‑live. Without early, structured engagement with Cancer Alliances (CAs) and ICB leaders, adoption stalls in pathway bottlenecks, unfunded capacity, and assurance gates—costing months and widening inequalities.

Why this matters right now Alliance performance pressure is real. Monthly reports often show programmes sitting at Amber, 62‑day performance off‑track, 31‑day standard missed in multiple providers, and many ICBs struggling to hit the 28‑day Faster Diagnosis Standard. Translation: a new TA won’t “self‑absorb” into already stretched pathways without a deliberate, system‑level plan.

Time to build your market access plan with the operating system

  • Alliances run the operating system of implementation. Each CA owns one annual work plan, delivered via ECAGs (Expert Clinical Advisory Groups) and programme groups. If your TA isn’t in this pipeline early, you can lose a year.

  • ICBs hold the levers that remove bottlenecks. When surgical/diagnostic capacity bites, Alliances escalate to ICBs —exactly where funding decisions are made.

  • Equity is governed, not hoped for. Alliances and ICBs are embedding inequality metrics and targeted outreach. Align your TA’s rollout to those levers to deliver fast and fair access.

The 90‑day “TA Acceleration” plan

From our experience of consistent and daily delivery within these networks, nzyme has developed a 4 point plan;

  1. Map & target. Understand how to position your TA against current priorities and recovery metrics; identify the inequality lens and outcome measures from day one.

  2. Make it implementation‑ready. Develop as much of the supporting information in your launch package as you can so the TA can be lifted straight into the work‑plan register.

  3. Unlock capacity. Convene the funding conversation to secure enabling resource (clinics, diagnostics, infusion time, workforce) tied to TA demand impact and local performance pressures.

  4. Drive monthly delivery. Provide support to programme management, helping those responsible to stay on track and manage a vast network of stakeholders

What you get with nzyme Catalyst (and what we measure)

  • Time to first patient from TA decision in each provider.

  • Breadth of coverage across the Alliance (share of eligible population with pathway enabled).

  • Equity markers (uptake in priority cohorts by deprivation/protected characteristics).

  • Capacity secured (ICB‑agreed).

Why say “yes” now

  • Alliance cycles have fixed windows—miss discovery or assurance and you risk a 12‑month delay.

  • In current conditions, a TA without a funded capacity plan adds pressure instead of relief—and wont be prioritised.

Interested? (even if its just a little bit?)

Let’s book a 60‑minute working session. In that hour we’ll draft a 90‑day plan that makes your TA easy to adopt—fast, compliant, and equitable—inside the system that actually delivers care.

If you’re sitting on a TA decision or expecting one soon, now is the moment to engage with Alliance/ICB machinery—before the window closes.