Debate on the potential merits of a cancer strategy for England

England does not currently have a stand-alone cancer strategy.

Major Conditions Strategy

The Conservative Government launched a consultation on a ‘10-Year Cancer Plan for England’ in February 2022. Eleven months later, in January 2023, the government announced that the cancer plan would be incorporated into a ‘Major Conditions Strategy’ (MCS) covering six major conditions (cancer, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders, mental ill-health, dementia and respiratory diseases).

The then health secretary, Steve Barclay, said that the MCS would build on measures in the 2019 NHS long term plan (which identified improving cancer outcomes and services as one of its clinical priorities) and that it would signal a shift in focus towards “integrated, whole-person care” for the increasing numbers of people in England with complex and multiple long-term conditions. The Department of Health and Social Care published its Major conditions strategy: case for change and our strategic framework in August 2023 but a final major conditions strategy had not been published ahead of the general election being called in May 2024.

Calls for a cancer strategy

The Health and Social Care Select Committee wrote to the government in May 2024 with the key findings of its ‘Future Cancer’ inquiry, ahead of the dissolution of Parliament. In the letter it argued that it was “a mistake to abandon the ‘10 Year Cancer Plan’” and went on to “call for commitment to the redevelopment and publication of a long-term strategy for cancer which has innovation at its core”. A government response to this letter is expected.

Organisations such as Cancer Research UK have also been campaigning for a stand-alone cancer strategy. Its Leading on Cancer report (PDF, June 2024) argues that “when dedicated cancer strategies are robustly developed and effectively implemented in the UK, they have played a vital role in driving efforts and impact towards improving cancer research and care”. It cites the Cancer Plan for England published in September 2000 which, it says, was crucial in improving cancer outcomes in England.

Similar calls for a cancer strategy have been made by Bowel Cancer UK and by oncologists working in the UK.

Clive Jones MP (Liberal Democrat) presented the National Cancer Strategy Bill to Parliament on 21 October 2024. The bill would “require the Secretary of State to publish a ten-year cancer strategy for England.” Second reading is currently scheduled for 4 July 2025.

Labour Government policy on developing a cancer strategy

The Labour Government is focused on creating a new 10 year health plan. When asked about its plans to publish a 10-year cancer strategy, the government said that it has:

“[…] set out plans to publish a ten-year plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will be informed by Lord Darzi’s report [the Independent investigation of the NHS in England] and will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. The 10-Year Cancer Plan commissioned in 2022 was not completed and a formal assessment has not been made.

Lord Darzi’s report has set out the scale of the challenges we face in fixing the NHS and the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival. In particular, he highlighted the need to improve the number of patients starting their treatment within 62 days of referral and to increase the number of patients diagnosed at an earlier stage”.

The government has also said that the 10 year plan will include “further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes” and that the government will “set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course”.

It was reported in the press in September 2024 that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, was considering whether to publish a dedicated cancer plan for England.

Further reading

Support for cancer in England, House of Commons Library

Food, diet, nutrition and cancer, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology