Healthcare strategy
Ambitious National Cancer Plan unveiled
Every cancer patient will be given ‘individual support’, according to new plans set out in the government’s National Cancer Plan. The Clinical Services Journal provides an overview of the key pledges.
The government has acknowledged that cancer mortality rates in the UK are much higher than in other, comparable countries and has published a comprehensive National Cancer Plan to help drive improvement. The Plan says that the UK “must do better”, outlining the current cancer outcomes in the UK, while making some ambitious pledges to reverse the status quo. The state of cancer care in the UK, as outlined
in the report, makes for damning reading: l Early diagnosis rates were flat for nearly a decade, beginning in 2013, and have only recently started to increase.
l Since 2014, the headline cancer performance standard – that 85% of patients should start treatment within 62 days – has continued to be missed.
l Working class and more deprived communities are being failed most of all. In places such as Blackpool, Knowsley and Kingston-Upon-Hull, age-standardised premature cancer mortality is twice as high as in the best performing area. Lung cancer alone has contributed to almost a whole year of the nine-year life expectancy gap between richer and poorer parts of the country.
l There has been little improvement in tackling inequalities in cancer mortality over the last 15 years.
Patients’ priorities To tackle the issues, the plan has been developed through extensive engagement with patients, partners and professionals. The Department of Health received over 11,000 responses to a call for evidence, including almost 7,000 from former or current cancer patients and 2,000 carers of people with cancer. Their message was clear: cancer care must
improve and – to achieve that – nothing short of radical change will do. Patients said they wanted to see government deliver on three burning priorities: 1. First, improvement on core performance standards – which, when met, translate to fast diagnosis, quick treatment, quality care and excellent patient experience.
2. Second, improved survival – to reduce the life lost and the bereavement caused by cancer.
3. Third, for better support to maximise quality of life after a cancer diagnosis, including after treatment ends.
The Plan promises that every patient will get a Personalised Cancer Plan that “looks beyond just treatment and diagnosis to cover the full impact of cancer on their life” – from anxiety and fatigue to diet and returning to work. The Plan also pledges to ensure patients will
Rolling out this year, the new approach recognises that cancer can affect every part of a patient’s life and that care doesn’t stop when treatment ends.
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receive an end-of-treatment summary to “end the cliff edge” many face when chemotherapy or surgery finishes – giving them clear guidance on warning signs, who to call with concerns, and where to find ongoing support like physiotherapy, counselling or local cancer groups. Even after successful treatment, some patients find themselves unable to return to the lives they had before diagnosis. The psychological toll of cancer can be devastating and long-lasting – with anxiety, depression and trauma persisting long after physical recovery. The Personalised Cancer Plan aims to ensure patients receive the mental health support they need to rebuild their lives. Rolling out this year, the new approach
recognises that cancer can affect every part of a patient’s life and that care doesn’t stop when treatment ends. Secretary of State for Health and Social
Care, Wes Streeting, said: “If you’ve ever sat in a waiting room dreading what comes next or laid awake at 3am wondering how you’ll pay the bills while you’re off work for treatment, you’ll know that cancer doesn’t just attack your body – it takes over your whole life. I was fortunate.
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