New Vision For Cancer

Britain Against Cancer 2008 will be held in Church House, London on Tuesday 2 December 2008. More details to follow.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer has launched its new vision for the future of cancer services.

The 'New Vision for Cancer' outlines a radical new approach to tackling inequalities in cancer care, with entitlements for patients across the country.

This Vision is more than a revision of the current Cancer Plan. It focuses on bridging the gap between health and social care; educating professionals and the public; improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment; researching genetics, the causes of, and treatments for, cancer; and producing national standards and entitlements that people with cancer can expect from health and social care services.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer will work with the Department of Health, across Government and throughout the political spectrum to ensure that people with cancer receive the treatment and support they need and that cancer remains a political priority.

A new, comprehensive, cross departmental strategy for tackling cancer in the 21st century is urgently needed.

Why do we need a New Vision for Cancer?

The NHS Cancer Plan was established in 2000 to deliver a cancer service comparable with others in Europe. It set out the first comprehensive national cancer programme for England, with ambitious goals to improve cancer care. Priorities and commitments up until 2010 were laid out in the Plan and substantial additional funding was allocated.

We are now over half way through the life of the Cancer Plan and improvements in cancer care in England have been realised thanks to increased funding and the dedicated work of NHS staff. However, this additional funding is now coming to an end. Postcode prescribing of new cancer treatments is never out of the media. The Public Accounts Committee has called for a review of the current Cancer Plan and a pan-European report has shown that the UK still lags behind when it comes to spending on cancer drugs and access to new cancer treatments.

Clear shifts in the picture of cancer have already taken place since the original Cancer Plan was conceived, and things are set to change further, with the NHS undergoing fundamental re-organisations. The increasing prevalence and diagnosis of cancer; growing numbers of people living longer with cancer; changing demographics; the increasing importance of lifestyle, prevention and awareness; and the enormous potential of emerging new treatments, all demand a comprehensive assessment of cancer and related support services on the part of Government.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer believes that a new, comprehensive, cross departmental strategy for tackling cancer in the 21st century is urgently needed.

Read the New Vision for Cancer document in full.