Work Package 6: Strengthening Capacities and Quality Improvement in Comprehensive Cancer Centres

Key activities

• Conducting comprehensive readiness assessment: Implement a robust Maturity Model to help candidate CCCs map their strengths and growth areas, providing a strategic starting point for tailored development.
• Developing tailored capacity building programmes: Deliver dynamic capacity building through coaching, mentoring, teaming, and pairing; empowering centres with the expertise and confidence to meet certification standards.
• Launching capacity building resource centre: Create an open-access hub of practical tools, validated methodologies, and expert insights to guide and inspire centres on their certification journey.
• Empowering cancer centres: Proactively identify and support centres in facing their unique challenges and starting conditions, ensuring that no centre is left behind in the drive for excellence.
• Supporting quality improvement for lasting impact: Develop and deploy meaningful quality improvement indicators and monitoring systems to support continuous progress, accountability, and measurable success.
• Providing actionable implementation guides: Deliver a comprehensive preparatory guideline and seven hands-on, domain-specific implementation guides, providing a clear roadmap for centres striving to meet the EUCCC standards.

Expected outcomes

WP6 will strengthen the capacity of cancer centres across Europe to achieve and maintain CCC certification by fostering a culture of continuous quality improvement. This will lead to a more cohesive network of centres, reducing inequalities in cancer care and improving access to comprehensive, high-quality services for patients regardless of location.

Contribution to the Joint Action

WP6 directly contributes to reducing inequalities in access to high-quality cancer care by enabling more centres to achieve CCC certification, irrespective of their starting point or resource availability. By equipping centres with tools for capacity building, structured quality improvement, and expert support, WP6 will strengthen the foundations for comprehensive, patient-centred cancer care across Europe. This work supports the wider goals of Joint Action EUnetCCC by fostering a resilient oncology workforce, promoting sustainability in quality standards, and building a more integrated European cancer care landscape aligned with the ambitions of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.