Three out of four cancer patients in England have beaten cancer under government plans to boost survival rates, as figures reveal someone is diagnosed every 75 seconds in the UK.
Cancer is the country’s biggest killer, accounting for one in four deaths, and survival rates lag behind many European countries, including Romania and Poland. Three quarters of NHS hospital trusts are failing cancer patients, A Guardian analysis The discovery last year prompted experts to declare a “national emergency”.
In a new plan to be published on Wednesday, ministers will pledge £2bn to tackle the crisis by transforming cancer services, giving millions of patients faster diagnoses, quicker treatment and more support to live well.
Some cancers did not meet performance targets NHS Since 2015. Under the National Cancer Plan, ministers will announce that three waiting time benchmarks will be met by 2029.
And, for the first time, from 2035, the government will commit to ensuring that 75% of patients live cancer-free or well, meaning a normal life under control five years after diagnosis. Currently, six out of 10 people survive five years or more.
According to the department health and Social Care (DHSC), which saved 320,000 lives over the 10-year plan.
A strategy repeatedly called for by cancer charities and health groups is desperately needed. A Macmillan Cancer A supporting report, also to be published on Wednesday, shows how common the disease has become. On average, around 1,200 people are now diagnosed in the UK every day, or one every 75 seconds.
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, revealed he was in 2021 Diagnosed with kidney cancer and treated The 38-year-old said: “As a cancer survivor who owes my life to the NHS, I owe it to future patients to make sure they receive the same excellent care that I did.”
Cancer is more likely to be a death sentence in Britain than in any other country around the world, but he is determined to change that. “Thanks to the revolution in medical science and technology, we have the opportunity to change the life chances of cancer patients,” he added.
“Our cancer plan will invest in and modernize the NHS so it can seize opportunity and deliver on our ambitions. The plan will lower expectations, invest in cutting-edge technology and give every patient the best chance of beating cancer.”
According to DHSC officials, the plan includes an investment of £2.3bn to provide 9.5m more tests by 2029, investing in more scanners, digital technology and automated testing.
Some community diagnostic centers also operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week. And the number of robot-assisted procedures will increase from 70,000 to half a million by 2035, reducing complications and freeing up more beds.
Every patient who can benefit will also be offered a genetic test that analyzes their cancer’s DNA with the aim of finding the right treatment, the Guardian was told.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “This plan sets out a clear roadmap for the NHS to diagnose more cancers earlier, treat more patients in time and improve survival, so hundreds of thousands of people live longer with or with cancer or after cancer.”
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), welcomed the plan as she warned that “many cancer patients” are still waiting too long to start treatment. “England lags behind comparable countries in cancer survival and it is vital that more people affected by cancer live longer, better lives,” she said.
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King’s Fund health thinktank and former executive director of CRUK, is skeptical about the chances of success.
While she welcomed the “bold” and “ambitious” plan, ministers must be careful not to “put the cart before the horse” and ensure they also deliver basic cancer care faster.
“Many hospitals are still unable to share imaging or pathology results in a timely manner because old technology is holding them back. Major new AI projects need to be focused on solving this,” she added.
Questions should also be asked about the feasibility of the pledge to hit the three main cancer criteria.
“Unless there is a major step-change, the system will meet cancer treatment standards by 2029 “To achieve its goal of transforming cancer treatment, increasing survival rates and improving quality of life, the government needs to show that it has the answers.”
