UK Government announces commitment to a National Cancer Strategy for England
Several weeks ago, Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, and fellow charities, co-signed the joint One Cancer Voice letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, encouraging him to commit to a cancer specific strategy.
On Thursday last week, the UK Government announced that they will publish a National Cancer Plan for England, bringing the country in line with all other nations across the UK, who already have dedicated cancer plans in place.
The key paragraph from Minister Kinnock (who responded to the debate on behalf of the Government) is as follows:
“To build an NHS fit for the future, we first need to listen. To reduce the number of lives lost to the biggest killers, like cancer, we need to learn from people with lived experience, researchers and our NHS staff. We also recognise the need for leadership by the Government, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has been clear that there needs to be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take and what its relationship to the 10-year health plan and this Government’s wider health mission should be. However, we are clear that we must develop and publish the 10-year health plan in spring 2025, before we can publish a stand-alone cancer strategy. We will provide updates on that in due course. The sequencing is important; it is best to set the strategic framework through the 10-year plan, and then a stand-alone cancer plan will flow from that. I have absolutely heard the message about the need for a cancer strategy loud and clear from hon. Members, and I will convey it to my ministerial colleagues and to officials.”
This echoes the asks requested in the One Cancer Voice letter submitted, which highlighted the urgent need for “a focused cancer strategy that is vital for improving research, diagnosis, and treatment across the board”.
However, the National Cancer Plan will take some time and will follow on from the release of the 10-Year Plan for Health, which is due to be published in Spring 2025.
A public consultation on the 10yr Plan is currently open
Neuroendocrine Cancer UK will be submitting an organisation response to the 10yr plan consultation – which closes on December the 5th – but you can also respond – using the following link: https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/
However, this is only the 1st step.
We hope by getting involved at the 1st step, Neuroendocrine Cancer UK – and our rare/less common cancer charity colleagues and communities – can continue to be involved at each subsequent step on the way.
Rare and less common cancers, like neuroendocrine cancers, account for just under 50% of all cancers diagnosed in the UK – but more than 55% of all cancer deaths – often facing delays in diagnosis and subsequent barriers to expert care, appropriate treatments and support.
November 10th is World Neuroendocrine Cancer day – more than 32,000 people, in England alone, are currently living with neuroendocrine cancer
– the incidence and prevalence continues to rise.
We need a proactive, inclusive, national cancer strategy for all affected by cancer.
We believe it is now time to gain and inform a meaningful response to calls for action and intervention: to address unmet needs, to achieve a more equitable access to expert services, diagnostics and treatments, and really improve outcomes.
#LetsTalkAboutNETs #LetsTalkAboutNECs
#NETCancerDay #Easilymissed #TurningPointForCancer
Published Cancer Plans:
Welsh National Cancer Improvement Plan – published February 2023
Scottish Cancer Action Plan – published June 2023
Cancer Strategy for Northern Ireland – published March 2022