Health Secretary Wes Streeting has launched a comprehensive National Cancer Plan with the ambitious goal of saving 320,000 lives by 2035, while drawing on his personal experience as a kidney cancer survivor. The Labour MP described his surgical scars as a "badge of honour" that reminds him of his journey and survival.
Transforming Cancer Survival Rates in England
Mr Streeting has committed to transforming cancer survival rates in England, which currently lag behind many European nations. The government's plan aims to ensure that 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 will be either cured or "living well" with cancer five years after diagnosis, representing the fastest rate of improvement this century.
Personal Experience Informing Policy
The Health Secretary revealed how his own cancer diagnosis came about unexpectedly during treatment for kidney stones. "I call them my lucky kidney stones because I was lucky that my cancer was caught," he told the Mirror. "There aren't that many kidney cancer symptoms so there's every chance that I might be talking to you today with absolutely no idea that I had cancer."
Mr Streeting underwent robotic surgery for his kidney cancer, an experience that has directly influenced his policy approach. "When you've had cancer it hits you differently," he explained. "I think about friends I've lost to cancer. As a cancer survivor who owes my life to the NHS, I owe it to future patients to make sure they receive the same outstanding care I did."
Addressing England's Cancer Care Deficit
The plan comes against a troubling backdrop where England's cancer survival rates trail behind countries including Croatia, Poland and Romania for some cancer types. A Macmillan Cancer Support report in 2024 revealed that British survival rates lagged 25 years behind some of the best performing European nations.
Specific Survival Rate Challenges
Current statistics paint a concerning picture:
- Five-year survival rates for prostate, cervical and colon cancers in Britain only recently reached levels that Denmark and Sweden achieved around the turn of the century
- Cervical cancer survival in England stands at 61.4%, lagging 25 years behind Norway
- Bowel cancer survival for men in England and colon cancer survival for women in Wales remain below what Sweden achieved by the early 2000s
- Breast cancer survival in England trails a decade behind Sweden and Denmark
Mr Streeting attributed these deficits to Conservative policies, stating: "Cancer is the canary in the coalmine for the NHS and as it was allowed to decline under the Conservatives, so cancer standards fell every single year they were in power."
Key Components of the National Cancer Plan
Robotic Surgery Expansion
The plan includes a massive expansion of robot-assisted surgery, which Mr Streeting personally benefited from during his two-day hospital stay. The government aims to increase such procedures from 70,000 to half a million by 2035, extending beyond cancer operations to include hip replacements and heart surgery.
Robotic surgery offers several advantages:
- Smaller incisions leading to reduced scarring
- Fewer complications during and after procedures
- Faster recovery times freeing up hospital beds
- Enhanced precision during complex operations
Diagnostic Centre Enhancement
The NHS will invest £2.3 billion to deliver 9.5 million additional cancer tests by 2029. This funding will support:
- More advanced scanning equipment
- Automated testing systems
- Extended operating hours at community diagnostic centres
Many diagnostic centres will operate 12 hours daily, seven days a week, significantly improving access to early detection services.
Waiting Time Targets and Challenges
The plan includes a bold commitment to ensure the NHS meets all cancer waiting time standards by 2029. Currently, just 70% of patients receive treatment within the 62-day target from referral, well below the 85% standard last achieved in 2014.
Expert Perspectives on Implementation
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England's director for cancer, welcomed the plan: "Almost everyone will know someone who has been affected by cancer and for many people it will be part of their own story too. This plan sets a clear roadmap for the NHS to diagnose more cancers earlier, ensure more patients are treated on time and improve survival."
However, Sarah Scobie, research director at the Nuffield Trust, expressed concerns about implementation: "To meet the government's target of 85% starting treatment within this timeframe by March 2029, we'd need to see improvements of almost 0.4% every single month - that would mean the NHS improving at 30 times the rate it has managed since April."
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, emphasised the scale of the challenge: "Too many cancer patients are waiting too long to start treatment so it's important that the UK Government has committed to meeting cancer waiting time targets by 2029. A wide range of measures will be needed for these to be met."
Broader Context and Future Outlook
The UK faces significant challenges in cancer care, including longstanding gaps in investment and staffing shortages. Equipment such as diagnostic scanners remains in short supply compared to countries like Germany, Sweden and Italy.
Mr Streeting concluded with a sobering assessment: "There is a massive tragedy at the heart of the UK's cancer care because we have some of the best science in the world here and yet we lag behind other European countries when it comes to cancer survival. Cancer is more likely to be a death sentence in Britain."
The National Cancer Plan represents a comprehensive attempt to address these systemic issues, combining technological advancement with increased funding and operational improvements across the NHS cancer care pathway.
