Healthcare strategy
I had a supportive employer, a family who could rally around me, and the financial security to focus on getting better. But I know that’s not everyone’s reality – and it shouldn’t be based on luck. For too long, we’ve treated the tumour and left patients to figure out the rest on their own. That ends now. This plan means nobody gets handed a diagnosis and is then abandoned to navigate the system alone.” Patients will be connected to cancer
charities for specialist support through the NHS App as soon as they are diagnosed. The NHS App will be transformed into a digital portal for cancer care, allowing patients to book screening appointments, access prehabilitation programmes, view their patient record, check their Personalised Cancer Plan, and provide feedback on their care – all from the convenience of their home. By 2035, every cancer patient will also have a named neighbourhood care lead responsible for joining up their care after treatment, meaning no more being passed from pillar to post. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “Being diagnosed with cancer affects every part of your life and the lives of the people around you, which is why the NHS is committed to supporting people with cancer in every possible way, from the best treatment and clear information, through to psychological and practical help.” The personalised cancer plan aims to bring
all this together, helping people face cancer with the right care, at the right time, in the right way. New standards will be introduced by 2028 to help patients get fit for treatment and recover quickly afterwards – including prehabilitation, rehabilitation and physical activity programmes.
Case study: Diagnostics single queue; Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance
The Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance has developed a single-queue diagnostics (SQD) system across 14 hospitals to optimise cancer diagnostic pathways and address inequity, variation and inefficient use of capacity. Initially covering five specialist pathways, the SQD uses the Infoflex platform to enable the real-time booking of diagnostic tests across providers. The system finds the earliest available appointment and can coordinate multiple procedures, streamlining patient journeys. The approach has had a considerable impact: l Over 17,000 patient pathway days saved l Equitable access across all 14 hospitals
l Maintained high demand (85–100th percentile) using 13–25% less capacity
l Excellent feedback from patients l Strong endorsement from clinicians: “In 25 years of practice I have never come across an initiative as helpful as SQD … it has streamlined things no end.”
Implementation took three years, required dedicated clinical leadership and new collaboration between Trusts. The SQD demonstrates how shared booking and digital integration can transform diagnostic pathways, improve equity, and enhance patient experience.
Pledges Among the key pledges include the following: l The NHS will meet the Cancer Waiting Time standards by the end of this Parliament through the 10-Year Health Plan’s three shifts. More specifically, the government will expand the community diagnostic estate, while boosting productivity, use digital pathways and technology to end outpatients as we know it, and use innovation to speed up treatment decisions.
l 9.5 million additional tests will be delivered by 2029 through £2.3 billion investment in diagnostics and by ensuring as many CDCs as possible are fully operational and open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
l Improvement in the most challenged Trusts will be prioritised through intensive support and by giving them the data and digital tools to improve.
l The 10-Year Health Plan’s Five ‘big bets’ on innovation – data, AI, genomics, robotics and wearables – will be used to transform the care pathway, while also freeing up staff capacity and ‘time to care’.
l Unnecessary appointments will be cut by giving patients control over their care, through straight-to-test pathways and implementing patient-initiated follow-up.
l Innovative technology will be harnessed to triage patients to make better use of diagnostic capacity, allowing patients to access testing in their own homes, and
March 2026 I
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com 29
Pixel-Shot -
stock.adobe.com
Peakstock -
stock.adobe.com
t
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
