Proposed cancer plan could save 20,000 deaths says charity as government urged to act

Experts say 20,000 lives could be saved each year by 2040 if the government adopts a new plan to "turn the tide" on cancer survival in the UK.

A new report from Cancer Research UK has proposed for a bold new plan to speed up diagnosis, get people treated more quickly and recruit 16,000 more full-time cancer staff by 2029.

It would involve creating a new cancer council accountable to the prime minister.

The charity warns the NHS will miss the current target of diagnosing 75% of cancers at the earliest stage by 2028.

The report says: "Across the UK, cancer waiting times are being consistently missed, and some have not been met for over a decade.

"While they wait for diagnosis and treatment, patients and their families face an anxious and worrying time.

"Investment in prevention, NHS staff, equipment and facilities is needed to turn the tide."

Cancer survival has doubled over the last 50 years but the UK still lags behind many other comparable countries when it comes to how long people live.

Cancer Research UK argues the problem is "fixable."

Professor Sir Mike Richards, former national cancer director at the Department of Health, who now advises NHS England, told a briefing there is much work to do to improve diagnosis, treatment and survival.

He said: "There’s a lot we can do: we can improve our screening programmes, we can improve our diagnosis of symptomatic patients and we can reduce inequalities in treatment."

The charity also says more funding is needed to plug the £1 billion gap in cancer research over the next decade.

Cancer Research UK Chief Executive Michelle Mitchell said: "Cancer is the defining health issue of our time. Avoiding thousands of cancer deaths is possible but it will take leadership, political will, investment and reform"

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was investing £1 billion per year in research and the life sciences which it says are "crucial" in the fight against cancer.

A spokesperson said: "Cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage, more often, with survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer and the NHS seeing and treating record numbers of cancer patients over the last two years.

"Our Major Conditions Strategy will set out how we will improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment and we have opened 135 community diagnostic centres offering over five million additional tests, including for cancer."

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