Have your say on the future of cancer care in England

The Government has said it’s setting out an ambitious programme of reforms to the health service. And as part of this, it’s developing a national cancer plan for England. 

This is an important moment as ministers want to find out how they can improve outcomes for cancer patients, speed up diagnosis and treatment, and make the best use of new technology to help save lives. 

Whether it’s supporting people living with cancer or tackling inequalities in our health system, you can have your say on what matters most to you and help shape the Government’s plans.

What can I do to help shape the national cancer plan?

The Government’s nationwide ‘call for evidence’ will collect information and ideas to help develop the national cancer plan. 

If you’d like to share your views and suggestions, you can complete a survey on the Government’s website. Just make sure you’ve done so before the survey closes on Tuesday 29 April.  

You’ll be asked to give your opinion about a range of cancer issues and invited to select from a list of options which you think are most important. You’ll also have the chance to share your personal experiences too. 

When you’re completing the survey, you might like to consider: 

• What changes you’d like to see 
  What do you think should be done differently? 

• Why you want to see these changes 
  Are there any personal experiences that have informed your view? 

• How you think these changes will make a difference 
  In what ways might these changes improve cancer care for people in the future? 

You might find there are some sections where you don’t have anything to say – that's not a problem. You can just answer the questions that interest you the most. 

We’re standing with men to put prostate cancer top of the agenda

People all over the UK are being invited to take part in the call for evidence, which will help shape the national cancer plan for England.  

And we’ll be submitting our own response – to make sure the Government knows prostate cancer must be a top priority. 

We now know that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in England. In fact, 1 in 8 men will get it, with 52,000 men diagnosed across the UK every year. And if you’re over 50, if you’re Black or if you have a family history of the disease, your risk of prostate cancer is even higher. 

Ministers must take action to put prostate cancer at the top of the agenda, so that every man at risk has the chance of a lifesaving early diagnosis and access to the best possible cancer care. 

Here’s where we stand on the important issues ... 

• Boosting vital awareness of prostate cancer 

Unlike some other cancers, most men don’t experience symptoms in the early stages of prostate cancer. And that’s why it’s so important every man understands his risk and what he can do next.  

We’re working to raise awareness of prostate cancer – but we know there’s much more work we have to do to reach men right across the UK. So we’re asking the Government to run its own risk awareness campaign, using our 30 second online risk checker tool to get the message out to even more men. 

• Getting more men diagnosed early, when it’s easier to treat 

Early diagnosis is critical to saving lives. That’s because prostate cancer is much easier to treat when it’s found early. In fact, research suggests men who are diagnosed at stage one or stage two have a survival rate of almost 100% –but for men diagnosed at stage four, this drops sharply to around 50%.  

There are too many men who are diagnosed by total chance. And often when it’s too late. And it’s why we’re urging the Government to change outdated NHS guidelines that prevent GPs from proactively talking to men at highest risk about the option of a PSA blood test. 

• Improving prostate cancer treatments  

It’s vital that new drugs and treatments are developed, approved and made available on the NHS as quickly as reasonably possible – so that men can access the most effective treatments when they need them. 

Too often treatment choices are decided by a man’s postcode – when it should be about their best clinical option. This needs to change, so that we have fair and equitable access to prostate cancer treatment right across the country. 

• Helping men live well with and beyond prostate cancer 

Right now we’re seeing a national shortage of Clinical Nurse Specialists. In fact, in some parts of England, only 60 per cent of men with prostate cancer are able to get support from a named nurse. 

We want the Government to make sure more nurses specialise in prostate cancer – with a target of more than 500 by 2028 – ensuring more men get the support and care they deserve. 

At the same time, we want to see better mental health and physiotherapy support. We’ve heard countless stories from men who struggle with their mental health – from diagnosis, through treatment and its potential side effects, to living after prostate cancer. This is a difficult journey, and men have told us they want better access to these critical health services. 

• Tackling inequality and reaching men at highest risk 

1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer. That’s double the risk of other men. And we also know that men living in more deprived areas of the country are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease and have poorer outcomes. This has to change. 

That’s why we’re calling on the Government to run targeted awareness campaigns to reach these men who are at highest risk of prostate cancer. At the same time, they must make sure clinicians understand social, cultural and religious factors, and that they’re able to provide the support Black men may need to navigate the health system.  

• Driving the next big breakthrough in research and innovation 

We’re living in a time of incredible progress when it comes to science and research, with a range of groundbreaking developments – like artificial intelligence – that have huge potential to improve outcomes for men as well as their experience of cancer care. 

It’s critical that we harness the full potential of research and innovation. But these improvements must be introduced in a way that benefits men across the whole country, while reducing risks and avoiding further inequalities. 

Complete the call for evidence survey and help improve cancer care in England

Help shape the national cancer plan today by completing the survey on the Government’s website. 

HAVE YOUR SAY