My Breakthrough
The Cancer Reform Strategy
At the end of November 2006, the Secretary of State for Health announced plans for a Cancer Reform Strategy to build on the progress of The NHS Cancer Plan published in 2000. The Strategy was developed over 12 months by Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, with recommendations being made by a number of working groups made up of experts specialising in different aspects and types of cancer, and finally published on December 3rd 2007.
The Cancer Reform Strategy (CRS) sets out a comprehensive vision for cancer services in England for the next five years to improve outcomes, quality and efficiency. Breakthrough staff and supporters have been involved in a number of the working groups set up to help develop the strategy. Breakthrough’s Chief Executive, Jeremy Hughes, chaired the working group on breast cancer and members of Breakthrough’s Campaigns & Advocacy Network (Breakthrough CAN) were also able to feed in valuable information on their experiences of healthcare services to ensure that the strategy took account of patients’ views.
How will breast cancer services be improved?
The CRS announced a wide range of new initiatives and ideas designed to improve the experience of patients, many of which are relevant to breast cancer patients. Some of the highlights include:• All patients referred by their GP with breast problems will be seen by a specialist within two weeks, by the end of 2009.
• The age range of women invited for screening by the NHS Breast Screening Programme will be extended from women aged 50-70 to women aged 47-73 by 2012. Women over 73 will still be able to ask for an appointment via their GP or local screening unit.
• A new National Awareness and Early Detection Initiative will coordinate a programme of activity to support local interventions to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and encourage people to seek help sooner.
• A new National Cancer Survivorship Initiative will consider a range of approaches to improving the services and support available for cancer survivors, as more people are now surviving cancer.
Breakthrough has been campaigning for a maximum two week wait for everyone referred by their GP to a specialist through our Left in the Dark campaign and for improvements in access to breast screening as part of the Screening Saves Lives Campaign.
We are extremely pleased that these measures have been included in the Cancer Reform Strategy as they will help to ensure that more cancers are detected at an early stage and that treatment can begin as soon as possible after a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Breakthrough warmly welcomes the Cancer Reform Strategy and would like to thank all the CAN members, clinicians and supporters who worked so hard to help us contribute to this vitally important next step in developing the best services and treatments possible for cancer patients.
We are now focused on ensuring that the commitments contained within the
Strategy are implemented. We have already mobilised Breakthrough CAN members and supportive MPs to contact their Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), asking them how they intend to implement the commitments in their area. All PCTs receive their budget allocations in April, making this a good time to raise this issue. Thanks to Breakthrough’s influencing work around last year’s Comprehensive Spending Review we already know that the budget allocation will contain the funding needed to support the age extension of the NHS Breast Screening Programme and to help the Programme cope with the growing number of women who already receive automatic invites.
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer says: "The Cancer Reform Strategy is an extremely welcome next step to ensure that cancer services continue to improve. However, there is still some way to go before everyone receives the best possible care no matter who they are or where they live. It's vital that each and every one of the important recommendations to be set out in the Strategy are implemented swiftly and effectively – ensuring real benefits for patients and saving even more lives."
