Our response as Government replace 10 Year Cancer Plan with the Major Conditions Strategy

Earlier this week, the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay announced a major policy change concerning cancer care in the UK. Our Director of Support & Influencing reflects on what this means for men.

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Abandoning the 10-Year Cancer Plan, due to be released this year, the government will now have one overarching strategy for five major conditions, including cancer.

Chiara de Biase, Director of Support & Influencing, said:

“We’re very disappointed that the 10-Year Cancer Plan will no longer be published and used to guide cancer services in the UK. The Plan was initiated under Steve Barclay’s predecessor Sajid Javid and went through a lengthy consultation process in which we were involved, both individually and through One Cancer Voice, a coalition of cancer charities.

“There is a lot to consider. Not least, does this represent a year’s worth of wasted work from the Department of Health civil servants? The Plan was also made possible thanks to the support of countless men affected by prostate cancer, who shared their experiences and helped shape what the best cancer care should look like in the UK.”

"The Major Conditions Strategy is hugely ambitious, and it will have to be matched by sufficient funding and a clear implementation plan. Without the necessary commitment, all that has been announced is a watered-down set of aspirations for the countless families affected by cancer in the UK."

Chiara de Biase Prostate Cancer UK Director of Support & Influencing

In consultation with NHS England, the government will now publish a five-year “Major Conditions Strategy” that includes cancer along with cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental health and musculoskeletal disorders.

“We know that many men with prostate cancer will also have other significant physical and mental health conditions. In light of this, we welcome the approach where healthcare professionals can work across specific conditions and place the patient at the centre of their care.

“But this is a hugely ambitious task, and it will have to be matched by sufficient funding and a clear implementation plan. Without the necessary commitment, all that has been announced is a watered-down set of aspirations for the countless families affected by cancer in the UK, and an even longer wait for a renewed strategy that reflects the challenges the NHS is currently facing.

“As we wait to hear more details from the Health Secretary, we’ll work to ensure that the voices of men living with prostate cancer are represented throughout the development of this new strategy.”

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