Consultation by: UK Government / NHS England
The UK Government consulted on the development of a new National Cancer Plan. The plan aims to improve prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, patient experience, and outcomes, with a focus on reducing health inequalities. Healthwatch Birmingham responded to ensure the voices of people in Birmingham are reflected in national cancer policy.
Key Points from Our Response
Prevention and Awareness:
We emphasised environmental factors like air pollution and physical inactivity, and the importance of targeted health messaging to those most at risk of certain cancers.
Early Diagnosis:
We supported improved symptom awareness, increased screening uptake, and greater diagnostic capacity. We highlighted barriers to GP access and continuity of care, supported by feedback from patients and findings from our reports on GP access and the prostate cancer pathway.
Treatment:
We recommended updating cancer care pathways, increasing support for physical and mental health during treatment, and better use of patient experience data to address inconsistencies.
Living with and Beyond Cancer:
We supported more personalised post-treatment care, improved support for families and carers, and greater access to palliative and end-of-life care. These points were drawn from our reports on the prostate cancer pathway and hospital discharge.
Research and Innovation:
We called for faster adoption of innovations, improved early diagnosis, and fairer access to clinical trials, particularly for underrepresented groups.
Inequalities:
We identified the need for culturally appropriate, accessible information, and reducing inequalities in screening uptake and cancer care quality. We referenced our work with the Somali community and patients with sensory disabilities.
Priority Areas:
We prioritised early diagnosis, improving treatment access and quality, and reducing inequalities — while noting that all proposed areas are important and interlinked.
Final Thoughts
We urged that the National Cancer Plan take into account real patient experiences and feedback from diverse communities to ensure fair, effective, and high-quality cancer care for all.