National Cancer Plan: what it means

We were honoured to host the Health Secretary Wes Streeting for the launch of the new National Cancer Plan at Maggie's, Royal Free on World Cancer Day.

The aim of the plan is that 75% of people diagnosed in 2035 will be cancer-free or living well with cancer after 5 years.

Below, we break down what you need to know about the National Cancer Plan, and what it really means for people who may be affected by cancer in the future.

The main priorities of the National Cancer Plan

To deliver this aim, the National Cancer Plan highlights three overarching priorities:

• improving core cancer performance standards, including fast diagnosis, quick treatment, quality care and excellent patient experience
• improving survival to reduce the life lost and the bereavement caused by cancer
  
• ensuring there is better support to maximise quality of life after a cancer diagnosis, including after treatment ends

Summary of key commitments and ambitions

We have outlined below some of the actions the government will take to ensure that its three main priorities are met.

➢ Everyone will get a personalised assessment of need and a personal cancer plan

This will cover not just medical treatment, but wider physical and mental health and social needs, such as employment and financial support.

These plans will be viewable on the NHS App by 2028, with real-time Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) enabling patients to provide feedback to their clinical team via self-completed questionnaires.

➢ Every cancer patient will have a named neighbourhood lead

This individual could be from a range of professions within and beyond the NHS, and will be responsible for coordinating a patient’s neighbourhood support, working closely with the patient’s hospital-based Cancer Nurse Specialist (CNS).

➢ Every cancer patient will receive an end of treatment summary

To avoid patients feeling like they have ‘fallen off a cliff’ when treatment ends, they will be given an end of treatment summary, covering what support they will receive from neighbourhood health services on an ongoing basis.

➢ Patients with more extensive needs will benefit from improved supportive oncology

Patients who have more complex needs will receive an enhanced level of care during and after treatment. This will include:

• enhanced rehabilitation
• psychological support
• preventative interventions

➢ A universal, digital-first prehabilitation offer will be developed for all cancer patients

There will be a shift in how prehabilitation services are delivered to make them more accessible. A digital-first prehabilitation offer will be rolled out for all cancer patients through the NHS App and other digital channels.

This will include signposting to other existing services, such as smoking cessation services and exercise classes, to ensure cancer patients can best prepare for their treatment at or close to home.

➢ People with cancer will be supported to stay in work

The government will launch a new employer collaborative with:

• private and public sector employers
• the Government’s Joint Work and Health Directorate
• cancer charities
• clinicians

The collaborative will develop resources for organisations to best support workers with cancer, to help them stay in and return to work.

Additional actions and commitments set out in the National Cancer Plan

• Deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 through a £2.3 billion investment in diagnostics.
  
• Complete roll out of lung cancer screening by 2030 – meaning every eligible person in England will have received their first invitation for a check. This is expected to diagnose up to 50,000 cancers by 2035 and at least 23,000 at an earlier stage.
  
• Expand and improve bowel, cervical and breast screening.
  
• Develop and deliver more proactive approaches to identifying people at risk of cancer – through symptomatic case finding, additional support for GPs, and genomic testing.
  
• Routinely test every patient diagnosed with bowel or endometrial cancer for Lynch syndrome, and every eligible patient diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer for relevant genes including BRCA1 and BRCA2.
  
• Review the final recommendation of the UKNSC on prostate cancer screening.
  
• Prioritise technologies with the most promise to transform the cancer pathway, including blood biomarker tests, saliva, urine and breath diagnostics, and wearable technology that will increasingly indicate when intervention is needed.
  
• Give every patient personalised insight into their personal cancer risk, drawing on NHS, genomic, lifestyle, demographic and wearable data.
• Develop the NHS App so it is primary access point for cancer care by 2028, enabling patients to manage screening invitations, book appointments, and access tailored prevention and support, such as weight management services and prehabilitation.

What it means for Maggie's

We are pleased that the government has recognised the valuable expertise and experience of cancer charities like Maggie's in the National Cancer Plan, and that our asks for the plan have been addressed.

For 30 years, we have been delivering personalised cancer support at Maggie’s, so we are encouraged by the government’s commitment to enable more people with cancer to access this tailored, timeless care.

Maggie's is founded on the importance of living well after a cancer diagnosis, and the principle that no-one should lose the joy of living in the fear of dying.

We look forward to supporting the government with the delivery of the National Cancer Plan and doing our part to improve cancer care, outcomes and support, now and always.