Healthcare strategy
“We welcome plans to expand supportive oncology services, which can improve cancer outcomes and reduce avoidable hospitalisation by supporting patients’ physical, social and mental wellbeing alongside their cancer treatment. “Plans to target more clinical oncology
training posts in areas with the worst staff shortages and encourage more graduates to specialise in oncology are important steps to tackle inequalities. However, we must train up more radiologists and cancer doctors across the board, or else plans to increase scanning capacity, expand screening and spot cancer earlier risk exacerbating backlogs and delays. “The government has listened to the experts.
Now, it must continue to work closely with frontline clinicians who are key to delivering its ambitions to improve cancer care across the country.” Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The
King’s Fund, said: “This is a plan which has been a long time in the making, with over 11,000 responses to the call for evidence, many from patients and carers who are directly affected by the current state of cancer care. It is welcome to see the result of this engagement being an ambitious, long-term plan with a clear set of priorities for the health and care system to work towards. At the heart of this is a bold ambition to double down on diagnosing cancers early and ensure the variation in access to the best treatment is tackled. “It attempts to bring to life the commitments made in the 10-Year Health Plan, shifting from analogue to digital with focus on the NHS app, moving care out of hospital into the community with a commitment to more home-based chemotherapy, and tackling inequalities in access to the latest innovations. There are several other commitments which will be welcomed by cancer patients, their carers and those living after cancer. It includes a focus on improving quality of life and several measures to improve the outlook for those at risk of or have been diagnosed with rare cancers.
“Ministers will need to be careful that they don’t put the cart before the horse and ensure that they get the basics delivered swiftly too. Many hospitals still cannot share imaging or pathology results in a timely way due to old technology holding them back. Addressing this needs to receive as much focus as rolling out major new AI projects. She added that the Plan doesn’t appear to be as ambitious about preventing people from becoming sick in the first place: “The government should see the generational smoking ban as a first step in the ‘prevention revolution’ but instead it risks turning into an end point. With four in 10 cancers being preventable, we were hoping the plan would be an opportunity to go further to tackle obesity, alcohol and physical inactivity.” Sarah Woolnough continued that there are questions to be raised about how feasible it will be to achieve the Plan’s stated aim of hitting the cancer treatment standards, which have been regularly missed in recent years: “Aside from additional funding for a faster rollout of lung cancer screening, the government will have to deliver within the existing Spending Review settlement, and hope the economic outlook improves to secure future investment in the outer years of the plan,” she commented. “The system as it stands will not meet the cancer treatment standards by 2029 unless there is a big step change. To that end, there remain questions about whether the levers are in place
Collaboration on innovation
The Department of Health pledges to accelerate innovation, and prepare to harness it, through “a new era of partnership and collaboration”. The report states that science and innovation will be “the engine of reinvention” – pointing out that, “We are in the foothills of an unprecedented revolution in science and technology – that will entirely transform what is possible in cancer care by 2035.” Advances in data, genomics and predictive
analytics will make it possible to design pre-emptive cancer care, personalised to individual risk. Liquid biopsies that analyse blood biomarkers – as well as breath, saliva and urine tests – will diagnose multiple cancers far earlier, enabling care to begin – before a patient knows they needed it rather than after long, frustrating waits. Digital therapeutics and the NHS App will help give more choice and power to each patient.
to make this possible and how the system can also meet the new commitments announced in the plan. The government will need to show it has the answers if it is to achieve its aim of transforming cancer treatment, boosting survival rates and improving quality of life.” Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan
Cancer Support, added: “Someone in the UK is now diagnosed with cancer at least every 75 seconds. This National Cancer Plan is an opportunity to ensure every one of them gets the support they need from the moment they hear the words, ‘You have cancer’. “The Plan’s promise of a tailored support plan
for everyone, alongside a named neighbourhood cancer lead and connecting people to cancer charities for support, will make a real difference. “At Macmillan, we know this personalised
approach works, having already enabled over half a million assessments to help people identify their needs and concerns, and shape care around what matters to them. “Macmillan is determined to work with
Government, our NHS, communities, public and private sector partners to enable this Plan to revolutionise cancer care for the future and ensure that everyone accesses world-class care and treatment.”
CSJ SCAN ME
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March 2026 I
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