Macmillan Cancer Support has published guidelines to ensure that cancer care provided by Macmillan nurses is of the highest standard.

The "nationally transferable" role template outlines the learning needs required by both nurses and those in nurse manager jobs to deliver quality care across all services, and achieve the highest possible level of care for patients.

It is hoped that the template will unify the level of care provided by some 2,000 Macmillan cancer care nurses across the UK.

The Nursing Times reported that the template is available for use by all healthcare providers in the NHS, independent and voluntary sectors throughout the UK, and not just Macmillan nurses.

Jacqui Graves, clinical programme manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, welcomed the plan and lauded the idea of providing transferable care for nurses across the UK.

She told the Nursing Times: "There are approximately 6,000 cancer specialist nurses working across the UK and around a third of these are Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialists."

"All are working differently and until now there have been no agreed national standards," she said. 

"Through the development of the NTR we have been able to identify the competencies required to function in the role, which are transferable across the UK and across the statutory, voluntary and private sectors."