“The good news is that survival rates are at their highest ever, but two-fifths of cancers are preventable and half of patients are now diagnosed when their cancers are advanced”. If the plan is successful it is thought 30,000 extra cancer patients will survive for ten years.
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More than a third of these patients are expected to survive thanks to their cancer being diagnosed at an earlier stage.
A report by the Independent Cancer Taskforce has suggested six “strategic priorities” for the NHS to make “substantial improvements” in cancer care in England at a time when cancer cases are rising.
Under the plans, the NHS will spend up to £250million on 126 new radiotherapy machines for patients across the country.
In Gloucestershire the one year cancer survival rate is 70 per cent – which is similar to the national average of 69.3 per cent. Now the target is to send patients for cancer tests within two weeks, but some wait up to eight weeks for results to be returned.
He said: ‘The NHS will be backing this ground-breaking route map for prevention, earlier diagnosis, modern treatments and compassionate care.’.
The report estimates the cost of cancer services in the United Kingdom will double by 2020 to £13billion, but says its recommendations will reduce costs in the long term.
The price of a packet of 20 cigarettes could reach £15 by 2020 in the latest bid to cut down the number of cancer patients.
Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research United Kingdom and chairman of NHS England’s task force, said the changes could help create a “world class” service over the coming years. “It is not in the interests of patients or cost-effective that we allow this situation to persist”. But the reality is that we have still got huge opportunities to do better. What’s needed now is action.
Play video “New GP Cancer Guidance To Be Issued”.
The Cancer Drugs Fund will be overhauled to ensure patients have access to the latest drugs.
The taskforce has recommended that a National Cancer Team should oversee the delivery of its plan.
Last year, 280,000 people in England were diagnosed with cancer, but the figure is expected to soar to 300,000 by 2020 and to more than 360,000 by 2030.
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Dr Richard Roope, of Cancer Research United Kingdom, said: “The health system is about to face the “perfect storm” – an ageing and growing population and worsening lifestyles. If acted on, this strategy has the potential to transform people’s experiences of cancer care as well as their chances of beating the disease”.
