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National Cancer Plan For England – our response

“For too many of us a cancer diagnosis has meant giving up the things we love; the things that give us our sense of identity and purpose; the things that connect us to others and a community. People told us it was about maintaining quality of life and so we will help people to stay in or get back to work, to enjoy hobbies again, to lead life with cancer not have cancer lead their life. A cancer diagnosis can also build new communities. Communities of understanding, support and action”. Ashley Dalton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention.

At MOVE Against Cancer we are delighted to see the launch of the UK government’s National Cancer Plan for England. One of its key aims – to improve quality of life and support for those with cancer – chimes so much with what we’re about. We regularly hear from our community that movement programmes and cancer support tailored for people living with and beyond cancer have a positive impact on quality of life, both physically and mentally. 

Oncologist and MOVE Against Cancer co-founder Dr Lucy Gossage says: “This plan is important for everyone impacted by cancer. At MOVE we welcome the opportunity to play a part in ensuring these goals come to life and look forward to continuing our work supporting people living with and beyond cancer to be more active”.

The plan makes several references to the importance of community and to delivering services in a neighbourhood setting: “We will drive up quality of life for people living with cancer. By shifting more cancer care out of hospital and into local neighbourhoods, we will be there for the ever-growing number of people who are recovering after their treatment or who are living with cancer as a long-term condition”. MOVE Against Cancer is already part of that neighbourhood infrastructure. With over 125 5k Your Way community-led groups across the UK and Ireland we support and encourage anyone impacted by cancer to come together to move. We have over 600 volunteer ambassadors, many of whom have lived experience of cancer and many of whom are healthcare professionals. We are also increasing our additional community engagement projects across the UK, offering individuals and at times underserved communities other ideas and inspiration for how they might like to move.

“The successful implementation of this plan will mean that 3 in every 4 people diagnosed in 2035 will be cancer-free or living well with cancer after 5 years”. We believe this is an incredible goal and one that means our work at MOVE Against Cancer is more important than ever.

It’s a significant landmark moment that children and young people’s cancers have been given a dedicated section in the plan and that rare and less common cancers are similarly recognised. The plan states that “cancer in children and young people requires a specialist approach. The most common types of cancer are different to those in adults and often behave differently – requiring distinct treatment approaches. Children and young people often experience severe physical, psychological or social late effects decades later, some life-changing or lifelimiting. Young people (aged 16 to 24) face particular challenges and can ‘fall between the gap’ of paediatric and adult services, and can have the lengthiest time to diagnosis”. Our MOVE Programme offers a bespoke, digitally-delivered movement programme for 13-30-year-olds with cancer, run by our Level 4 cancer rehab specialists and informed by the needs of the young people themselves. Over 650 young people have gone through the programme so far. Young people accessing our programme have a range of cancer diagnoses and a variety of different needs.

The plan recognises existing issues of inequality and is setting out to address them: “This will be a National Cancer Plan hardwired to narrow health inequalities”. Inclusivity and accessibility are at the heart of what we do at MOVE Against Cancer. We know not enough people are getting access to the support and information they need. We recognise that there is more to be done to support underserved groups to engage in physical activity. Our vision is for every single person impacted by cancer to be able to live an active and fulfilling life. 

“This plan does not belong to the government or the NHS. It belongs to us all and we all must play a part in making it work. We wrote this with patients, families, carers, clinicians, researchers, cancer charities, voluntary groups; and we can’t deliver it without you all. Through collective endeavour, we can multiply our impact for cancer patients”. At MOVE Against Cancer we agree that we all have a part to play in the government’s National Cancer Plan. The plan demonstrates fantastic collaboration between the government, the NHS, clinical experts, patients and partners and it’s great to see the role of charities so well represented.

MOVE Against Cancer CEO David Henderson comments: “Every day at MOVE Against Cancer we hear about the profound impact a cancer diagnosis can have on people and their families. It can affect every part of life, including the lives of those around you. We are encouraged that the government has recognised this impact and welcome the plan to ensure tailored support is available for everyone. 

Cancer patients will also be routinely referred to charities that can help, such as MOVE Against Cancer. This plan has the potential to be truly transformative and we all have a vital part to play. Supporting more people to live active and fulfilling lives is a clear priority for all. We look forward to continuing to work with the government, the NHS and partners to deliver real change for people living with and beyond cancer”.

 

You can read the Government’s National Cancer Plan for England in full here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/698315a35a7e802e96d343a4/national-cancer-plan-for-england-delivering-world-class-cancer-care.pdf