Policy & public affairs News update


Government to protect charity funded research


O


ver the past couple of years, Campaign has worked to highlight the importance of the Charity


Research Support Fund (CRSF) and thanks to everyone who supported our campaign, we have had a fantastic result. After 1,000 supporters contacted their MPs and 90 MPs wrote to the Treasury, as well as


‘The Government acknowledged the importance of charity-funded medical research’


a letter signed by over 120 scientists being published in The Times, the Government acknowledged the importance of charity funded medical research. In December, the Business Secretary instructed the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to protect funding leveraged from charities – HEFCE decides on the detail of funding decisions for English universities. This was the first time HEFCE had been given such clear direction on supporting charity funded research. HEFCE then announced in February 2011 that the CRSF will be maintained in cash terms. This is a great result, especially given the general economic climate and cuts being made across Government spending. Campaign will continue to work to ensure that politicians recognise the importance of the UK maintaining its position as a world leader in health research and the contribution that charities make to this.


New cancer strategy


In the last edition of focus we discussed the Government’s plans to update its cancer strategy and Campaign’s response to the consultation on this. Since then, the Government has published ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’. This new strategy sets out the Government’s ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014/15, bringing England up to the European average. Issues covered by the strategy that are


particularly relevant to Campaign include: • acknowledgement of research’s importance


• a commitment to collecting data on women with secondary breast cancer (see page 10)


• the retention of the two-week wait (in a survey by Campaign of women with breast cancer, we found they were overwhelmingly in favour of this target)


Radical changes to health service


The Government has proposed radical changes to the health service and a new Health Bill is passing through Parliament. At the time of writing, the Bill proposes abolishing Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and instead GPs will be in charge of spending most of the NHS budget. This means that GPs will be responsible for choosing what health services should be provided locally. Campaign has been working with supportive


MPs and Lords to highlight issues of concern for breast cancer services to ensure that: • research continues to be promoted after changes to the NHS


• GPs receive sufficient support and assistance to plan cancer services effectively


• inequalities in the health service continue to be tackled


• cancer services are co-ordinated at a regional or national level where appropriate e.g. radiotherapy


As part of this work, an amendment suggested by Campaign was put forward by Shadow Health and Social Care Minister, Emily Thornberry MP, which made the Government clarify that research can continue to be promoted in the new NHS system.


• the pilot of the extension of the breast screening programme to women between 47-49 and 71-73 will be extended for an extra three-year screening round and full roll out will not happen until 2016


• additional investment in radiotherapy to improve capacity and new techniques, such as Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), will be incentivised. Campaign funded the first IMRT clinical trial in the UK for women with breast cancer


• acknowledgment of the evidence that older people are less likely to receive surgery than younger people. Breast Cancer Campaign is funding research in this area


We will continue to monitor developments and keep you updated on Government activities.


focus June-September 2011 9


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