The Government has said that it will be publishing a National
Cancer Plan, as recommended by the predecessor Health and Social
Care Committee.
Before the dissolution of the last Parliament, the Committee wrote to
the Department of Health and Social Care on 23 May 2024, to set
out its findings from its Future Cancer inquiry,
which explored innovations in cancer diagnosis and treatment,
examining and identifying key issues which impede progress on
cancer care in the UK.
In its letter, the Committee had said that it was ‘a mistake to
abandon the 10 Year Cancer Plan', and it called on the Government
to commit ‘to the redevelopment and publication of a long-term
strategy for cancer which has innovation at its core'.
In his response to the
Committee's letter published today, the Health and Social Care
Secretary, the Rt Hon MP, states that the Department ‘will be publishing
a National Cancer Plan' and is ‘currently working on what form
this plan will take and how it is aligned with the conclusions of
the 10 Year Health Plan'.
The Health Secretary says he will update the Committee on the
progress of the National Cancer Plan in due course.
The Committee's letter in May detailed a range of other findings
and made recommendations relating to research, workforce, the
adoption and scaling up of innovations in the field, access to
treatments, collaboration and regulation and
commercialisation.
In its response, the Department commits to setting out details on
the allocation of funding for surgical hubs, scanners and
additional beds and equipment, including how many surgical hubs
will be established. In the meantime, Mr Streeting sets out the
steps the Department is taking to support NHS performance and
address the preventative causes of cancers.
The Chair of the Committee, MP, said:
“Our predecessor Committee warned that the current system of
cancer care seemed ‘preoccupied with ‘firefighting' immediate
issues' rather than looking to the future. It called for the
redevelopment and publication of a long-term strategy for cancer
with innovation at its core.
“It is encouraging to see this response from the new
Secretary of State and his stated commitment to a new cancer
strategy. As a Committee, we look forward to scrutinising the
details of the Government's National Cancer Plan.”
ENDS
The Committee's work on the inquiry, ‘Future Cancer' was almost
complete when the General Election was called for July 4 and the
House of Commons dissolved. It had published 87 submissions of
evidence, held seven hearings and made several visits to see
different systems in action. In lieu of a report, the Committee
wrote to the then Secretary of State to warn that failure to act
in the short-term could have grave consequences in the
future.
Notes to editors:
The Health and Social Care Committee scrutinises
the spending, policies and administration of the government
Department of Health and Social Care. It is not a government
committee but a select committee of the House of Commons with a
key role in holding ministers to account. Any of our inquiries
would correctly be described as a ‘parliamentary inquiry' and not
a ‘government inquiry'.
