Meet the team… Chris Mills, Delivery Lead

Hi, I’m Chris and I am a Delivery Lead at the Northern Cancer Alliance and have worked here since December 2021.

I am relatively new to the NHS having started in September 2019 as a Cancer Project Manager in Lincolnshire after returning from New Zealand. My pre-NHS career was primarily in asbestos consultancy working as a surveyor/analyst before moving into project management, operations and technical manager roles. My career has taken me to Saudi Arabia and across the entire UK before finishing up over 11,500 miles away in New Zealand. On returning to the UK, I had a change of path and joined the NHS.

My first role in the NHS was supporting the implementation of the Lung Cancer Best Practice Time Pathway in Lincolnshire and the Upper GI pathway transformation work. I then became the project manager for the Aseptic Pharmacy Fit-out at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, a joint venture between the Lincolnshire Co-op, Lincoln University and the Hospital Trust, before joining the Northern Cancer Alliance in December 2021.

I have a keen interest in processes and data and the use of lean methodology as a tool for transformation. I find data to be the doorway to transformation and improvement, the starting point for ‘why’ questions and the catalyst for my passion to improve patient outcomes.

My favourite part of my role is being able to discuss and work through problems and issues with colleagues, working with clinicians to support the development and implementation of transformational improvements and then seeing the results of the work in the data.

I work across Urology, Skin, Head & Neck and the Breast Pathways as well as innovation projects such as the NHS Galleri Trial, FIT and Colon Capsule Endoscopy. My role is to support clinical leads in transforming clinical pathways to achieve the goals of reducing health inequalities, earlier diagnosis and patient centred care.