The Government has unveiled its landmark National Cancer Plan, which promises patients will receive faster diagnosis, quicker treatment and the support to live well with cancer.
For the first time, the NHS will commit to ensuring three in every four people diagnosed with cancer from 2035 onwards are cancer-free or living well after five years. This represents the fastest rate of improvement in cancer outcomes this century and will translate to 320,000 more lives saved over the lifetime of the plan.
The NHS has not met its central cancer performance target - that 85% of patients start treatment within 62 days of referral - since 2014. The National Cancer Plan is targeting that by March 2029 the NHS will meet all three cancer waiting time standards, meaning hundreds of thousands more patients will receive timely treatment. This demonstrates the real change being delivered by the government’s record investment as we rebuild the NHS.
60% of patients currently survive for five years or more and around 2.4 million people are currently living after a cancer diagnosis.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Thanks to the revolution in medical science and technology, we have the opportunity to transform the life chances of cancer patients. Our cancer plan will invest in and modernise the NHS, so that opportunity can be seized and our ambitions realised. This plan will slash waits, invest in cutting-edge technology and give every patient the best possible chance of beating cancer.”
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “Almost everyone will know someone who has been affected by cancer - a friend, a partner, a parent or a child - and for many people it will be part of their own story too. This plan sets a clear roadmap for the NHS to diagnose more cancers earlier, ensure more patients are treated on time and improve survival, so that hundreds of thousands more people live longer, healthier lives with or after cancer over the next decade. This is alongside delivering the latest breakthroughs in cancer treatment and care to every corner of the country, improving access to pioneering trials and ensuring there is wraparound support for people closer to home.”
The plan sets out sweeping reforms to how cancer is diagnosed and treated, including:
Faster diagnostics: a £2.3 billion investment will deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 - investing in more scanners, digital technology and automated testing. Where possible, community diagnostic centres will operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week, bringing testing closer to where people live
Robot-assisted surgery: from hip replacements to heart surgery and cancer operations, the number of robot-assisted procedures will increase from 70,000 to half a million by 2035, reducing complications and freeing up hospital beds
Treatment at specialist centres: more patients with rarer cancers will have their care reviewed and treated at specialist cancer centres, where they can benefit from the expertise of the best cancer doctors. These centres bring together surgeons, oncologists, specialist nurses and radiologists to agree the best treatment plan for each case
Genomic testing: every patient who could benefit will be offered a test that analyses the DNA of their cancer. This helps doctors understand exactly the type of cancer someone has and choose treatments most likely to work for them
Waiting lists: new technology is being developed to give patients better access to tests for cancer by offering them the earliest available appointment from a range of NHS organisations in their local area
The government has also announced a new artificial intelligence (AI) pilot to help detect hard-to-reach lung cancers sooner with fewer invasive tests, as well as a new employer partnership to support England’s 830,000 working-age cancer patients to remain in employment during and after treatment.
The cancer plan comes as the government continues to make strides on cancer waiting lists, diagnosing or ruling out cancer on time for 213,000 extra cases in the latest 12 months, compared with the 12 months prior to the election.
One hundred and seventy community diagnostic centres are now open - with over 100 of them available at evenings and weekends - bringing checks, scans and tests closer to where people live and at times that work around them.