We’ve joined together with 50 other cancer charities to speak with One Cancer Voice and call on the Government to urgently deliver its commitments to improve cancer survival and care in this country by investing in the NHS cancer workforce.
And the more voices that join us, the louder we can be!
Add your voice to ours by signing the Parliamentary Petition to support the calls-to-action laid out in the One Cancer Voice open letter to the Government.
Sign the petitionRead the One Cancer Voice letter
As part of the One Cancer Voice group, we’ve written an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid. We’re calling for the Spending Review to urgently deliver the Government’s commitments to improve cancer survival and care in this country.
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer services in the UK were under considerable strain. In England, the 62-day Cancer Waiting Time target for patients to begin treatment following an urgent GP cancer referral has not been met since December 2015, and not only has this target been missed, it has also been in continual decline since 2017, reflecting a service under increasing pressure.
With almost 1 in 10 NHS posts vacant prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, too few cancer specialists in the NHS and insufficient kit has led to a failure to meet patient need. Tragically, the COVID-19 pandemic has only put further pressure on cancer services, on patients, and on the lives of family’s dependent on those services.
As a group of 51 cancer charities, we are speaking with One Cancer Voice to ask the Government to urgently respond to this challenge and improve outcomes for patients in the forthcoming Spending Review. We’re calling on the Government to:
- address gaps in the cancer workforce and kit, to improve diagnosis, treatment and care
- level-up on cancer to address socioeconomic factors
- strengthen investment in cancer research and development
You can help by joining our Voices for Change!
These calls are vital to deliver the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, and meet the needs of cancer patients today and in the future, so that every patient can have a good quality of life and the best chance of survival. We’re speaking collectively as part of One Cancer Voice to ensure that we make the biggest impact possible on decisions being made as part of the Spending Review that’ll affect the entire cancer community.
The more voices collectively calling for this investment, the more impact we can make.
You can support our call to the Government by signing this Parliamentary Petition calling for the Government to urgently invest in the NHS cancer workforce in the Spending Review.
The Spending Review is an opportunity for the Government to turn the corner on cancer, to establish the UK as world beating in cancer survival and care, and to build a life-saving legacy that will be remembered by, and benefit, generations to come.
Download the One Cancer Voice letter to the Government
One Cancer Voice letter to the Governent – PDF
As part of the One Cancer Voice group, we've written an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid. We're calling for the Spending Review to urgently deliver the Government’s commitments to improve cancer survival and care in this country.