Health Secretary Wes Streeting has made a significant new pledge to address the persistent "postcode lottery" in NHS cancer care across England. The announcement comes as part of the government's forthcoming National Cancer Plan, a comprehensive strategy designed to prevent cancer, accelerate diagnosis, and enhance treatment outcomes nationwide.
Targeting Inequalities in Specialist Training
The government is set to expand cancer specialist training programmes specifically in England's most deprived areas. This initiative aims to directly tackle the geographical disparities that have long affected patient outcomes. Under the proposals, additional training places for medical professionals will be introduced at under-served NHS trusts, with particular focus on rural and coastal communities that have historically faced challenges in accessing specialist care.
Ministers will collaborate with royal colleges to encourage more doctors to specialise in clinical and medical oncology, seeking to boost numbers in these critical fields. Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasised the importance of this approach, stating that patients in underserved communities deserve "the same shot at survival and quality of life as everyone else."
Faster Technology Assessment and Rollout
From April 2027, new diagnostic tests and medical devices designed to detect cancer earlier will undergo assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). This move is expected to facilitate faster rollout of promising technologies across the NHS, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.
The first technologies to be evaluated under this new model include artificial intelligence systems that read chest X-rays to help identify lung cancer, software that analyses tissue samples for prostate and breast cancer to speed up diagnosis, and innovative techniques to investigate unexplained vaginal bleeding in women. Nice will also assess the "sponge on a string" test for oesophageal cancer, which involves patients swallowing a small capsule attached to a string that collects cells from the oesophageal lining for analysis.
Addressing Performance Disparities
Recent NHS England performance figures reveal ongoing challenges in cancer diagnosis timelines. While 76.5% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days in November 2026, there remains a significant gap between those having the disease ruled out and those receiving confirmation.
Specifically, 78.0% of patients ruled out of having cancer were informed within 28 days, but only 55.1% of patients had their cancer confirmed within the same timeframe. The proportion of patients waiting no longer than 62 days from referral to first definitive treatment stood at 70.2% in November, with the government and NHS England targeting 75% by March 2026.
Commitment to Equitable Care
Mr Streeting expressed strong determination to address these systemic inequalities, stating: "For too long, your chances of seeing a doctor and catching cancer early have depended on where you live. That's not fair and has to stop. I am determined to end the health inequalities that have grown across England over the last 15 years."
He added: "We're training more doctors in the communities that need them most and making sure the latest cancer detection technology reaches every corner of the country. Faster diagnosis doesn't just save lives – it gets people back to work and back to their families sooner."
Expert Responses and Future Outlook
Professor Jonathan Benger, chief executive of Nice, welcomed the reforms, noting: "When Nice was founded 26 years ago, it set out to end the postcode lottery in access to medicines. We're now extending that same clarity and fairness to health tech. These reforms mean that clinically and cost-effective medical devices, diagnostics and digital tools will start to be reimbursed and made available consistently across the NHS."
Steven McIntosh, chief partnerships officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, commented: "Right now, cancer care isn't fair. Too many aren't getting the treatment and care they need because of who they are and where they live, and rural and coastal communities often have the worst outcomes. The National Cancer Plan for England is a huge opportunity to break down the barriers to everyone accessing world class cancer care."
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, confirmed that the National Cancer Plan will tackle differences in care "head-on," signalling a concerted effort to create more equitable cancer services across all regions of England.
