Insurers have joined a coalition alongside clinicians, patients, charities, employers, and health technology leaders to publish an open letter to the secretary of state for health and social care, Wes Streeting MP. The letter welcomes the publication of the National Cancer Plan for England while urging urgent action to ensure it delivers meaningful change for people living with and beyond cancer.
The open letter, coordinated by multidisciplinary virtual cancer clinic Perci Health, responds to the government’s newly launched 10-year plan, which aims to restore cancer waiting times by 2029, increase five-year survival to 75 per cent by 2035, and improve quality of life by shifting care closer to home.
The National Cancer Plan was developed in consultation with clinicians, charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, and the lived experience of more than 11,000 patients and carers. The response letter reflects that same breadth, bringing together frontline professionals and people affected by cancer to assess whether the plan goes far enough and how it can be delivered at scale.
The open letter organises expert responses to the National Cancer Plan around four core questions that health leaders say will determine its success: Does the Plan cover the entire cancer pathway? Does the Plan adequately address inequities in cancer care? Does the Plan use technology to personalise care? Is the Plan deliverable within today’s workforce constraints?
According to Macmillan’s latest analysis, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer every 75 seconds, nearly 1,200 people each day. The impact extends far beyond hospitals, affecting families, workplaces, communities and the wider economy.
Signatories are in agreement regarding the belief that the government and NHS cannot deliver the Plan alone. They argue for deeper partnerships across healthcare, technology, employers, insurers and the voluntary sector to close gaps in care and reduce pressure on overstretched services.
The open letter concludes with a call to embed whole-person, data-driven cancer care as standard practice rather than innovation.
"Responding to this scale of need requires more than a clinical plan," said Kelly McCabe, co-founder and CEO of Perci Health. "It requires whole-pathway, whole-person care that continues long after treatment ends."
She adds: "The direction of travel reflects what patients and clinicians have been saying for years. Implementation will be the real test of whether those voices continue to shape change."
"Right now, cancer care in the UK is failing far too many people,” said Dr Anthony Cunliffe, GP and national lead medical adviser at Macmillan Cancer Support. “The ambition is welcome, but delivery will be everything.
"The government and NHS will not be able to deliver this plan on their own. Professionals are under immense pressure, and the financial environment is as challenging as it has ever been."
