In a speech at the Francis Crick Institute on World Cancer Day 2022 (4 February), the then Health and Social Care Secretary, Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, declared ‘a war on cancer’ and launched a call for evidence to underpin an ambitious 10-Year Cancer Plan for England.
The call for evidence was the beginning of the process to inform the Government’s 10-Year Cancer Plan, a new vision for how the UK will lead the world in cancer care. It promised to take a long-term look at how we harness innovation and what we want the patient experience to look like in 2032, with ambitious plans for action in several different areas. Over 5,000 people and organisations including Neuroendocrine Cancer UK responded to that consultation.
On 24 January 2023, the Government announced that it will be launching a 5-year ‘Major Conditions Strategy’ – which means they will no longer be publishing a 10-Year Cancer Plan. We are concerned that this reflects a dilution of the ambition and shifts focus away from some of the specifics asks, issues and opportunities for cancer services and for people affected by cancer.
More than 60 charities came together as One Cancer Voice, to campaign on behalf of people affected by cancer, to hold the Government to account and ensure it does not retreat on its ambition to transform cancer care and services for patients now and in the future. Cancer Research UK held a petition to demand the Prime Minister commit to a fully funded, ambitious, long-term action on cancer in England. In just four weeks a whopping 76,578 people signed the petition and Neuroendocrine Cancer UK’s Clare Gerrard, went along to represent us and our NC community.
