Tag: Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting

Three in four cancer patients to survive long term under new plan

Patients will receive faster diagnosis, quicker treatment, and the support to live well with cancer under the UK government’s landmark new National Cancer Plan

NATIONAL CANCER PLAN FOR ENGLAND

  • 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 will be cancer-free or living well after five years, following record investment in the NHS    
  • NHS to meet all cancer waiting time standards by 2029, with hundreds of thousands more patients treated within 62 days   
  • Major expansion of robot-assisted surgery and faster diagnostics to slash delays     Patients will receive faster diagnosis, quicker treatment, and the support to live well with cancer under the government’s landmark National Cancer Plan, unveiled today.   

For the first time, the NHS will commit to ensuring three in four people diagnosed with cancer from 2035 onwards are cancer-free or living well after five years.  

This represents the fastest rate of improvement in cancer outcomes this century and will translate to 320,000 more lives saved over the lifetime of the plan.  

The NHS has not met its central cancer performance target - that 85% of patients start treatment within 62 days of referral - since 2014.  Survival rates are below Romania and Poland for some cancer types.  

Under this plan, that will change – by March 2029, the NHS will meet all three cancer waiting time standards, meaning hundreds of thousands more patients will receive timely treatment. This demonstrates the real change being delivered by the government’s record investment as we rebuild the NHS. 

60% of patients currently survive for 5 years or more and around 2.4m people are currently living after a cancer diagnosis.  

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:  “Cancer survival shouldn’t come down to who won the lottery of life. But cancer is more likely to be a death sentence in Britain than other countries around the world. 

As a cancer survivor who owes my life to the NHS, I owe it to future patients to make sure they receive the same outstanding care I did. 

Thanks to the revolution in medical science and technology, we have the opportunity to transform the life chances of cancer patients. Our cancer plan will invest in and modernise the NHS, so that opportunity can be seized and our ambitions realised. 

This plan will slash waits, invest in cutting-edge technology, and give every patient the best possible chance of beating cancer.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: “Almost everyone will know someone who has been affected by cancer – a friend, a partner, a parent or a child – and for many people it will be part of their own story too. 

“This plan sets a clear roadmap for the NHS to diagnose more cancers earlier, ensure more patients are treated on time and improve survival, so that hundreds of thousands more people live longer, healthier lives with or after cancer over the next decade. 

“This is alongside delivering the latest breakthroughs in cancer treatment and care to every corner of the country, improving access to pioneering trials and ensuring there is wraparound support for people closer to home. 

“The National Cancer Plan will see the NHS deliver world-class cancer care, offering renewed hope for millions and ensuring the health service is there for patients whenever they need it.”

Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “It’s encouraging to see such bold survival ambitions in the National Cancer Plan for England.

“This comes at a time when people living with cancer tell us all too often that their care hasn’t been good enough, from long waits for tests and treatment to being left without the support they need once treatment ends.

“This Plan has the potential to transform care for people living with cancer, ensuring people not only live longer but live better with their diagnosis. We look forward to working with the government to make this vision a reality: adding life to years, as well as years to life.”

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said:  “The publication of the National Cancer Plan for England represents a significant commitment by the UK government to treat cancer with the seriousness it deserves.  

“Across England, too many cancer patients are waiting too long to start treatment, so it’s important that the UK government has committed to meeting cancer waiting time targets by 2029. A wide range of measures will be needed for these to be met. 

“In addition to this, it’s promising to see the government’s ambitious commitment to saving more lives from cancer. England lags behind comparable countries on cancer survival and it’s vital that this changes, so more people affected by cancer can live longer, better lives.”

Chris Walden, Chief Executive Officer, Cancer52, said:  “For the first time, an England cancer plan includes a specific focus on rare and less common cancers.

“This is a step change; the needs of our community have been heard. We welcome the government’s response to our calls to switch gear on improving diagnosis, increasing research and introducing leadership so that rare and less common cancers have parity.  

“Now the changes outlined in the Plan, and the Rare Cancers Bill, have to be implemented in full. They have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of people living with a rare and less common cancer now and in the future.”

Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of Maggie’s, said: “If we are to usher in a new era of world-leading cancer care that is truly catered to the needs of people with cancer, it is vital that the right practical and emotional support is provided to help people manage and live with cancer.  

“That’s why we are really pleased to see the government recognise the need to improve support for people at every stage of cancer and acknowledge that the challenges of cancer don’t end when treatment ends.  

“We warmly welcome the introduction of the new target and look forward to working with the government and the NHS to ensure people can live well with cancer.  

“At Maggie’s, we believe that with the right support, people can live full, productive lives with and beyond cancer. While the number of people diagnosed cancer is only going to rise, more people are surviving than ever before or living for many years as medical advancements effectively keeping cancer at bay.”

The plan sets out sweeping reforms to how cancer is diagnosed and treated:   

  • Faster diagnostics: A £2.3 billion investment will deliver 9.5 million additional tests by 2029 -investing in more scanners, digital technology and automated testing. Where possible, Community Diagnostic Centres will operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week, bringing testing closer to where people live.   
  • Robot-assisted surgery: From hip replacements to heart surgery and cancer operations, the number of robot-assisted procedures will increase from 70,000 to half a million by 2035, reducing complications and freeing up hospital beds.  
  • Treatment at specialist centres: More patients with rarer cancers will have their care reviewed and treated at specialist cancer centres, where they can benefit from the expertise of the best cancer doctors. These centres bring together surgeons, oncologists, specialist nurses and radiologists to agree the best treatment plan for each case.   
  • Genomic testing: Every patient who could benefit will be offered a test that analyses the DNA of their cancer. This helps doctors understand exactly the type of cancer someone has and choose treatments most likely to work for them.  
  • Waiting lists: New technology is being developed to give patients better access to tests for cancer by offering them the earliest available appointment from a range of NHS organisations in their local area. 

The UK government has also announced a new AI pilot to help detect hard-to-reach lung cancers sooner with fewer invasive tests as well as a new employer partnership to support England’s 830,000 working-age cancer patients to remain in employment during and after treatment.   

While more people survive cancer than ever before, progress has slowed over the last decade, and England remains behind other comparable countries including Australia and Denmark.  For some cancers, such as brain cancer, survival rates in England trail behind countries like Croatia and Romania. 

The cancer plan comes as the government continues to make strides on cancer waiting lists, diagnosing or ruling out cancer on time for 213,000 extra cases since July last year.   

One hundred and seventy community diagnostic centres  are now open – with over 100 of them available at evenings and weekends – bringing checks, scans and tests closer to where people live and at times that work around them. 

The UK government is also taking tough action on the causes on cancer: introducing a generational ban on smoking and a ban on junk food ads before 9pm.

Wes Streeting: Over 1,000 more GPs to be recruited this year

UK government will recruit more than 1,000 newly qualified GPs thanks to action to remove red tape

  • Government acts to fix front door to NHS and deliver more appointments
  • Slashing burdensome red tape to boost capacity in surgeries and hire over 1000 more newly-qualified doctors
  • Government listening to sector to help end scandal of patients struggling to see a doctor

More than 1,000 newly qualified GPs will be recruited thanks to government action to remove red tape currently preventing surgeries from hiring doctors.

Bringing back the family doctor is central to the Government’s plan to rebuild the health service, and the changes being made to cut through the current rules will help more patients get access to GPs, and ensure more GPs are able to find roles, so that people in communities across England will receive the timely care they deserve this year.

Currently, under a scheme known as the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, primary care networks (PCNs) can claim reimbursement for the salaries (and some on costs) of 17 new roles within the multidisciplinary team – meaning more specialists are available to treat patients.

They are selected to meet the needs of the local population, but are currently prevented from using this to recruit additional GPs. The changes announced today means that newly qualified GPs  can quickly be recruited into the NHS through this scheme in 2024-2025.

It’s thought hundreds of newly qualified GPs could be without a job this summer in England. But thanks to this intervention, they will be able to be hired by the end of the year. 

The Government is listening to GPs, and this has been hard fought by the British Medical Association, Royal College of General Practitioners, and many other groups who petitioned for it, receiving over 11,000 signatures.

It comes as the Government accepts recommendations of the Pay Review Bodies in full, increasing GPs’ pay by 6% – their first meaningful pay rise in years.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “It is absurd that patients can’t book appointments while GPs can’t find work. This government is taking immediate action to put GPs to work, so patients can get the care they need.

“This is a first step, as we begin the long-term work of shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to fix the front door to the NHS.

“I want to work with GPs to rebuild our NHS, so it is there for all of us when we need it.”

Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said: “With hard-working GP teams delivering millions more appointments a month compared to before the pandemic, it is vital they are given the resources to manage this increase in demand.

“Adding General Practitioners to the scheme is something that the profession has been calling for in recent months to make it easier for practices to hire more staff – so I welcome this measure which is an important first step to increasing GP employment in the long-term.

“We will continue to work with GPs, the BMA and the Government to avert any potential action but in the meantime the NHS has a duty to plan for any possible disruption to ensure services continue to be provided for patients – so the public should continue to come forward for care in the normal way if collective action does go ahead.”

This is an emergency measure for 2024-2025 to ensure patients are able to access GPs and GPs are able to find roles, while the Government works with the profession to identify longer term solutions to GP unemployment and general practice sustainability as part of the next fiscal event.

The Government will ensure the NHS has the funding it needs to deliver this, paid for by £82 million from the existing department budget.

In expanding general practice capacity, the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme improves access for patients, supports the delivery of new services and widens the range of offers available in primary care.

‘Raw and honest’ investigation ordered into state of our NHS

Professor Lord Darzi appointed to establish the state of the nation’s health service

  • Report will provide ‘raw and honest assessment’ of issues facing health service
  • Work will be led by Rt Hon Professor Lord Darzi, OM, KBE, a lifelong surgeon and innovator, independent peer and former health minister
  • Findings will feed into government’s 10-year plan to radically reform the nation’s health service

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, has ordered a full and independent investigation into the state of the NHS, to uncover the extent of the issues facing the nation’s health service.

Mr Streeting says he wants a ‘raw and honest’ assessment that will deliver ‘the hard truths’. He has appointed Professor Lord Darzi, a lifelong surgeon and innovator, independent peer and former health minister, to lead the rapid assessment, which will be delivered in September.

Its findings will provide the basis for the government’s 10-year plan to radically reform the NHS and build a health service that is fit for the future.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Anyone who works in or uses the NHS can see it is broken. This government will be honest about the challenges facing the health service, and serious about tackling them.

“This investigation will uncover hard truths and I’ve asked for nothing to be held back. I trust Lord Darzi will leave no stone unturned and have told him to speak truth to power. 

“I want a raw and frank assessment of the state of the NHS. This is the necessary first step on the road to recovery for our National Health Service, so it can be there for us when we need it, once again.”

Professor Lord Darzi said: “As every clinician and every patient knows, the first step to addressing any health problem is a proper diagnosis.

“My work will analyse the evidence to understand where we are today – and how we got to here – so that the health service can move forward.

“This is an important step to re-establishing quality of care as the organising principle of the NHS.”

Amanda Pritchard, NHS Chief Executive, said: “Frontline NHS staff are doing an incredible job, despite the huge pressures they face, to deliver care to over a million people every day, but we know that they face huge struggles and patients are not always getting the timely, high quality care they need. 

“We will work closely with the government, independent experts and NHS staff to take a detailed look at the scale of the challenges and set out plans to address them – this comprehensive analysis will be an important step in helping us to build an NHS fit for the future.”

The Health and Social Care Secretary’s promise to fix the broken NHS was backed by action last week when he met with key figures across the health service.

This included meetings with junior doctors to discuss ending the strikes, and talks with the British Dental Association about rebuilding NHS dentistry.

He also visited a GP surgery in north London to see first-hand how the practice is delivering a patient-led service providing continuity of care – a key pillar of the government’s ambition to improve primary care.

Mr Streeting also set out his wider commitment to support the government’s growth mission by improving the health of the nation.

The aims are based on 3 key steps:

  • cutting waiting times to get people back to work
  • making the UK a life sciences and medical technology superpower
  • creating training and job opportunities through the NHS to deliver growth up and down the country.