Morning, Friday, 9th May 2025
Online
This conference will focus on next steps for cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment in England.
Stakeholders and policymakers will assess priorities for the Government’s recently announced National Cancer Plan, ahead of the 10-Year Health Plan. Taking place alongside wider discussion on the future of the NHS and with the Prime Minister recently announcing that NHS England will be abolished and its functions merged into the DHSC, the conference will be a timely opportunity to discuss implications for cancer research, prevention and care in England during the consultation and development stage of the plan.
Delegates will look at next steps for cancer research, including strategic priorities for innovation in diagnostics and care and how it can best be applied as part of a national cancer strategy, as well as creating opportunities for improving NHS productivity.
Attendees will also examine strategies for enhancing outcomes and improving patient experience for children and adolescents with cancer, following the reinstatement of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce. Discussion is expected on calls from leading charities for a separate cancer plan for children and young people, and how best to ensure their unique needs and challenges are reflected in the upcoming strategy and wider NHS reform.
With prevention highlighted as a key component to the Government’s plans for the NHS, sessions will consider its place within cancer policy, including the way forward for screening technologies and implications of forthcoming public health legislation, such as the newly announced AI breast cancer screening trial. Delegates will consider the way forward for expanding cancer screening programmes following calls from stakeholders, particularly in relation to prostate cancer and the National Screening Committee’s ongoing evidence review.
Further sessions will explore ways to streamline cancer diagnosis and treatment pathways to reduce waiting times and improve outcomes. This includes addressing regional disparities and building on the Government’s recent push for out-of-hours appointments, leading to 80,000 more patients receiving their diagnosis within 28 days between July and January. Delegates will also assess the expanded provision of community diagnostic centres outlined in the recently published plan for Reforming elective care for patients, alongside opportunities to leverage remote care and strategies to address workforce challenges.
With the previous 10-Year Cancer Plan call for evidence emphasising the importance of raising public awareness of cancer symptoms to promote earlier detection, discussion will look at strategies to improve the delivery of campaigns to reach all population groups and go beyond the most prevalent cancers.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- National Cancer Plan: alignment with ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan - what will be needed to drive improvements in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes
- prevention: strategic options and priorities - screening technologies, including the AI breast cancer screening trial - integrating prevention into long-term cancer care planning
- screening: growing capacity - expanding community diagnostic centres - ensuring accessibility, particularly in underserved areas - potential for genomics and biomarker testing
- health inequalities: assessing and tackling regional and socio-economic inequalities in cancer diagnosis and treatment - options for public health measures in narrowing outcome gaps
- treatment: expanding access - improving availability of cutting-edge therapies, including for rare cancers - funding and infrastructure challenges - consistent service quality across NHS trusts
- patient voice: supporting engagement - involvement in care decisions - public health education and awareness campaigns - empowering patients in navigating cancer care services
- children and young people: priorities for the reinstated Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce - treatment pathways for young patients - improving long-term survival and quality of life
- coordination: service integration - communication between primary, secondary, and specialist care - digital health records - streamlining patient pathways - long-term care management
- workforce: strategies for supporting and developing those involved in cancer care - recruitment and retention - improving workforce planning, service delivery and patient outcomes
- AI and innovation: priorities in diagnosis and treatment - AI for screening, diagnostics, and personalised treatment - ethical considerations and data security - integrating AI-driven care models
- research: expanding trials and adoption of innovative therapies - alignment between research priorities and NHS capabilities - international collaboration and UK leadership
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DHSC; DBT; Defra; DWP; MHRA; and OLS.
