UK Government launches all-age National Cancer Plan

Today, the UK Government unveiled its long-awaited all-age National Cancer Plan for England, setting out measures to secure faster diagnoses, quicker access to treatment, and improved support to help people live well with cancer. Importantly, the plan includes a commitment to ensuring that children and young people with cancer who need palliative and end of life care receive timely, holistic and personalised support with access to specialist level palliative care when needed.

Responding to the publication of the plan, Nick Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of Together for Short Lives, said:

“Very sadly, some children and young people with cancer need palliative and end of life care. For too long, seriously ill children and their families with cancer or other life-limiting or life-threatening conditions have faced a postcode lottery when accessing high-quality children’s palliative care.

“I warmly welcome the government’s commitment in the new National Cancer Plan to strengthen access to this support through the new all-age palliative and end of life care modern service framework (MSF). The ambition to reduce that variation and ensure real choice for children and young people with cancer is very encouraging.

“The government must now deliver on this commitment. Through the MSF, ministers should set clear national expectations, provide strong accountability, tackle workforce shortages and address funding shortfalls in hospitals, in the community and in children’s hospices.

We look forward to continuing to work closely with ministers and officials as the MSF is developed and the National Cancer Plan is implemented, to ensure real improvements are delivered for seriously ill children, young people and their families.”