Christie NHS Foundation Trust transforms patient pathways with process mapping technology

New real-time mapping project provides full visibility of operations, uncovering an opportunity to reduce manual workload by up to 50%

6th November 2025 – The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe, has completed a four-month project using Netcall’s Liberty Spark to map and analyse more than 70 care processes across nine major patient pathways. Supported by digital transformation partner Differentis, the initiative has helped the Trust uncover efficiency gains, free up frontline workers, and improve care delivery – aligning with the NHS Long Term Plan’s goal to build smarter, more sustainable services.

The project brought together over 80 stakeholders to document how services are delivered, from referral to discharge. Using Liberty Spark, the team analysed the forms used in 2.8 million submissions, gaining complete visibility of its digital landscape for the first time. What was completed in just four months would have traditionally taken more than 18 months to achieve using manual mapping approaches.

Initial findings revealed that 30% of forms were low-value and could be simplified or retired, while 50% directly supported clinical care. With a 99% form-match rate, the data highlighted opportunities to reduce duplication, streamline operations, and cut manual data entry for nursing staff by up to 50%, allowing more time for patient care.

Alistair Reid-Pearson, Chief Information Officer at The Christie, said: “It’s been fantastic to see how Liberty Spark (with Differentis) has transformed how we work. What used to take months – just to build a couple of workflows – now takes days. Getting there so fast has been a massive win. It’s made a real difference to how we deliver care. The work with Differentis and Liberty Spark is the foundation of transformational change. It’s a cornerstone for our ‘Future Christie’ programme.”

All mapped processes are now live within Liberty Spark, enabling ongoing analysis and improvement, forming a strategic asset that powers the Trust’s ongoing transformation. What began as a discovery exercise has evolved into a live roadmap for continuous improvement, helping the Trust build on its momentum and deliver lasting change.

Liberty Spark is also being applied to new projects, including patient journey mapping, financial processes, automation pipelines, and site expansion. By turning insight into action, the Trust is building a service that’s more responsive to staff, and more personal for patients.

John Clarke, Head of Healthcare Solutions at Netcall, said: “This project isn’t just a win for The Christie, it also aligns closely with the NHS Long Term Plan by improving efficiency, boosting productivity and making care more patient-centred. By mapping and streamlining workflows and reducing manual tasks, the Trust is freeing up staff time to focus on direct patient care, which supports the wider NHS goal of smarter, more sustainable services. What’s more, the approach is already being looked at by other Trusts as a blueprint for driving productivity improvements, showing that these benefits could ripple out across the NHS.”