Access to clinical trials

We want to increase the number, efficiency of, and access to clinical trials.

We also want trials to better reflect the diversity of the blood cancer community, helping to build a more inclusive, representative and robust clinical research landscape.

Radiotherapy and surgery are rarely used in the treatment of blood cancer. Instead, treatments such as chemotherapy, stem cell transplant and immunotherapies are often the main options. Acceptance into a clinical trial can sometimes offer vital access to new medicines and options.

While clinical trials can offer promising treatment options for people diagnosed with blood cancer, many people face barriers to taking part. These include limited availability, strict eligibility criteria, and practical, financial and social challenges.

Some types of blood cancer are up to three times more common in certain ethnic groups. Yet people from some ethnic backgrounds are less likely to take part in clinical trials.

We know finding a clinical trial and understanding the complex information to enrol can be overwhelming. That’s why, in 2020 we launched our Clinical Trials Support Service- one of the first of its kind in the UK. So far, we’ve helped more than 500 people find out more about accessing clinical trials and have been sharing its impact with policymakers.

In 2021, we commissioned a report from Dr Andrew Smart on engaging people from minority ethnic groups in blood cancer clinical trials. Building on this, we launched an industry-funded project focussed on improving access for these communities.

The project focussed on listening and learning from Black and Pakastani communities and understanding their experiences, the barriers they face, and would could make participation easier. People from Black and Pakistani communities are more likely to develop some types of blood cancer, making equitable access especially important.

As part of this work, we worked with Egality Health to produce video content that answers common questions, addresses myths, and encourages people from Black and Pakistani communities to feel confident about considering clinical trials.

In 2023, the Government commissioned an independent review into commercial clinical trials in the UK, led by Lord James O’Shaughnessy. The review set out a number of recommendations including increasing diversity of patients recruited to clinical trials, and asked for specific performance targets to be set on increasing diversity, including ethnicity, of patient recruitment to trials.

Building on this, the National Cancer Plan for England published on 4th March 2026 committed to tackling long-standing barriers to participation, including for people with rare cancers, those from poorer areas and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’re holding decision-makers to account to ensure the recommendations from the O’Shaughnessy review and the National Cancer Plan for England are implemented in full.

In 2023, the Government commissioned an independent review into commercial clinical trials in the UK, led by Lord James O’Shaughnessy. As part of this, organisations including Blood Cancer UK were invited to contribute insight and evidence as part of the consultation process.

We were pleased to take part in the consultation, ensuring that the experiences and needs of the blood cancer community were represented. Read our response to the consultation (pdf).