04/02/2026
This morning, on World Cancer Day, Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Department of Health and Social Care - DHSC launched a new National Cancer Plan for England.
This marks a major opportunity to improve the lives of people affected by cancer across the country and transform cancer care over the next decade.
Macmillan is proud to have been an active partner in the development of the National Cancer Plan for over a year and weโre committed to making cancer care the best it can be for everyone.
Why is the National Cancer Plan important?
The number of people living with cancer in the UK is at a record high. Someone is diagnosed with cancer at least every 75 seconds across the UK.
Macmillan has provided expert advice and support to Government to ensure the Plan focusses on improving patientsโ experiences and addressing the unacceptable inequalities in cancer care. We want everyone to get the best possible care and support. No matter who they are or where they live.
The Planโs promise of a tailored support plan for everyone, alongside a named neighbourhood cancer lead and connecting people to cancer charities for support, will make a real difference. We know this personalised approach works, having already enabled over half a million assessments to help people identify their needs and concerns, and shape care around what matters to them.
We are proud to have worked closely with communities and partners across England to engage directly with the government on this plan. We are now ready to play our part in making the ambitions of this plan a reality for everyone.
To read the plan visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england
To find out how we have been working on this, read here: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/latest-news/news-and-stories/what-is-the-national-cancer-plan
In this blog, we explain what the National Cancer Plan is, how Macmillan has helped shape it, and why it is important for people living with cancer.
