We need to ensure blood cancer survival is at the heart of the National Cancer Plan
Earlier this year, the Government announced its plans to publish a National Cancer Plan for England. We spent several years campaigning for this, along with many other cancer charities – because we know this is crucial to drive improvements in cancer survival.
The blood cancer community's voice is being heard
Following the announcement of National Cancer Plan for England, the Government launched a call for evidence. We surveyed people living with blood cancer, those with a personal connection to blood cancer, and blood cancer Healthcare Professionals – to make sure that our contributions to the National Cancer Plan were shaped by our community. And with over 850 responses, we have been able to do just that.
Read Blood Cancer UK's evidence to the National Cancer Plan
We shared the voices of over 850 people affected by blood cancer with the Government to help shape and influence the National Cancer Plan. Our response is structured by the focus areas of the National Cancer Plan:
- Prevention
- Early diagnosis
- Improving patient pathways
- Treatment
- Living with and beyond cancer
- Research and innovation
- Tackling health inequalities
- Improving outcomes for rarer cancers
The evidence we've provided was informed by the survey results and our UK Blood Cancer Action Plan and you can read our response below:
Other ways we're contributing
We are also contributing evidence to the Cancer Plan in other ways. Our Director of Research, Policy and Services, Dr Rubina Ahmed, is sitting on one of the Government’s External Reference Groups, through which she is directly involved in deciding the Cancer Plan’s ambitions for treatment. We have met with the Health Minister, Ashley Dalton MP, and will be doing so again later this month. The insight gathered from your survey responses has been shared at every opportunity.
If you live in England, you can help us by sharing our written submission with your MP. Simply download the PDF above and send it to your MP, who you can find here. Here is an example of what the accompanying email to your MP could say:
Draft letter to your MP
Dear [your MP]
The Government’s upcoming National Cancer Plan is a crucial opportunity to ensure blood cancer, including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, is not overlooked.
78% of people with blood cancer describe it as a hidden cancer, and 84% believe blood cancer doesn’t get the same political focus as other cancers.
As my MP, I would be grateful if you could share your support of Blood Cancer UK’s consultation response with the Health Secretary, and meet with Blood Cancer UK to understand how you can help drive forward ambitions for blood cancer survival.
Kind regards
[Your name]
[Your postcode]
[Cc: [email protected]]
Championing blood cancer across all of the UK
We’re also hugely appreciative of the answers we received from members of the blood cancer community in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. While the feedback from people living in England has been used to guide our response to the UK Government’s consultation on the National Cancer Plan, comments from those of you living in the devolved nations will help shape our future work.
In 2026, both Scotland and Wales will be going to the polls to elect new regional representatives to the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd. This will be an important opportunity for Blood Cancer UK to influence prospective parliamentary candidates, and this feedback means we can prioritise those issues which matter most to you.
In Northern Ireland, we’re working to ensure that the Department of Health delivers on the recommendations in their Cancer Strategy and that people with blood cancer have equal access to care and treatment. Thanks to those respondents from Northern Ireland, we can take this work to the next stage.
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