Great news yesterday when the Government committed to a ‘stand-alone cancer strategy’.

This was in response to a Westminster Hall Debate, secured by Lib Dem MP Clive Jones, on ‘the potential merits of a cancer strategy for England.’ You can read the transcript here.

This is a big step from a Secretary of State who is no doubt managing many demands for action – he listened to ours.  The key paragraph from Minister Kinnock (who responded to the debate on behalf of the Government) is as follows:

“To build an NHS fit for the future, we first need to listen. To reduce the number of lives lost to the biggest killers, like cancer, we need to learn from people with lived experience, researchers and our NHS staff. We also recognise the need for leadership by the Government, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has been clear that there needs to be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form that plan should take and what its relationship to the 10-year health plan and this Government’s wider health mission should be. However, we are clear that we must develop and publish the 10-year health plan in spring 2025, before we can publish a stand-alone cancer strategy. We will provide updates on that in due course. The sequencing is important; it is best to set the strategic framework through the 10-year plan, and then a stand-alone cancer plan will flow from that. I have absolutely heard the message about the need for a cancer strategy loud and clear from hon. Members, and I will convey it to my ministerial colleagues and to officials.”

This commitment follows the Secretary of State, West Streeting’s, answer a couple of week’s ago in Department of Health and Social Care Questions, where he referred to publishing a cancer plan. Action Kidney Cancer joined Once Cancer Voice in a joint letter supporting his comments and encouraging him to commit to a cancer strategy.

This feels like a great win for the cancer community. This has been a unifying and impactful call that the Secretary of State has heard and responded to.

Read more here.