NHS England has announced a new independent taskforce to develop a five-year action plan for cancer services that will improve survival rates and save thousands of lives. It has also launched a new programme to test innovative ways of diagnosing cancer more quickly at more than 60 sites across the country, and committed a further £15m over three years to evaluate and treat patients with a type of modern radiotherapy.
The taskforce has been asked to deliver the vision set out in the NHS Five Year Forward View, which calls for action on three fronts: better prevention; swifter diagnosis; and better treatment, care and aftercare for all those diagnosed with cancer. Chaired by Cancer Research UK chief executive, Harpal Kumar, the taskforce will work across the entire health system. It will include cancer specialist doctors and clinicians, patients groups and charity leaders, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Public Health England, local councils, and the Royal College of GPs.
It will consider prevention, first contact with services, diagnosis, treatment, support for those living with and beyond cancer, and endof-life care, as well as how all these services will need to develop and innovate in future. It will assess the opportunity for improved cancer care and produce a new five-year cancer strategy by the summer.
Alongside the taskforce, NHS England announced:
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