Our Response to the NHS 10-Year Health Plan Consultation
Earlier this year, the new government announced its plans for NHS reform following Lord Darzi’s review, that uncovered a breadth of issues that need to be addressed for the UK’s national healthcare system to function properly for the people who need it. Change NHS has been launched as an extensive programme to gather insights from all of those connected to the healthcare system, from everyday users to NHS workforce and partnered organisations.
Our charity has taken the opportunity to advocate for essential changes that can transform outcomes for children and young people with cancer. Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related deaths in children under 16 in the UK, yet it is often underrepresented in national health strategies. Here’s how we responded to the consultation and why these changes are vital.
What we want to see in the NHS 10-year health plan
A focused approach to children's cancers
Children’s cancers are distinctly different from adult cancers, yet they often lack the prioritisation needed to bring change. Tailored approaches are crucial, given the unique biology, treatments, and care pathways involved.
Accelerating clinical research
Progress in childhood cancer treatments depends on robust and timely clinical research. However, systemic barriers in the UK healthcare system hinder advancements in a field predominantly funded by charities and driven by academic institutions. Our initiative, IMPACCT (Initiative for Multistakeholder Partnership to Accelerate Children’s Cancer Trials), is designed to tackle some of these barriers by fostering collaboration and innovation, but broader systemic support is urgently needed.
A dedicated children and young people's (CYP) cancer workstream
We have called for a well-resourced, designated team within the Department of Health to focus specifically on CYP cancers. This team would be instrumental in implementing improvements, coordinating with stakeholders, and leveraging collaborative forums like IMPACCT to drive tangible progress.
Improved access to clinical trials
Equitable access to clinical trials is essential for children with cancer. Currently, trials are not always timely or accessible, limiting opportunities for innovative treatments. The 10-Year Health Plan must address these gaps to ensure every child has the chance to benefit from advancements in research.
Key challenges and opportunities for NHS transformation
Three shifts have been identified within the government’s health mission to improve the productivity and effectiveness of the NHS; shifting care from hospitals to communities, shifting from analogue to digital, and shifting from treatment to prevention.
In our response, we’ve highlighted how each of these shifts translate in the context of children’s cancers and what might be the most significant challenges and opportunities for this unique patient population.
Moving care from hospitals to communities
Challenges
- Children’s cancers often require specialised hospital-based care, limiting the scope for moving care into community settings
- Geographic barriers and the lack of expertise in community settings make community care for rare cancers particularly challenging.
Opportunities
- Leveraging Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) to identify care pathways better suited to community settings.
- Relieving strain on hospitals by shifting other non-complex conditions to community care, ensuring specialist facilities focus on high-need cases.
Better use of technology in health and care
Challenges
- Limited communication between healthcare systems (e.g., Principal Treatment Centres and Shared Care Units) disrupts continuity of care.
- Fragmented primary and secondary care records limits follow-up care for childhood cancer survivors.
Opportunities
- Enhanced electronic patient records and alignment of NHS systems to streamline data sharing and collaboration.
- Development of digital health passports for younger patients and caregivers to improve care coordination and empowerment.
Spotting illnesses earlier and tackling causes of ill health
Challenges
- Unlike many adult cancers, childhood cancers are not preventable through lifestyle changes, so different approaches are needed for prevention.
- Delayed diagnoses often result from limited awareness of symptoms among primary care providers.
Opportunities
- Strengthened GP education on childhood cancer signs and referral pathways, building on resources like the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust toolkit.
- Wider implementation of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to uncover genetic causes and enable earlier, more accurate diagnoses.
Our policy suggestions
The final part of our response focused on key policy changes that we feel could help to bring the step change needed to improve outcomes for children with cancer. With limited existing policies that benefit those affected by childhood cancer at present, the next 10 years presents an opportunity for real progress.
Immediate Actions (Next Year):
- Establish a dedicated CYP cancer team within the Department of Health to drive improvements with measurable goals and annual reporting.
- Commission an independent review of the CYP cancer clinical trial landscape, modelled on the O’Shaughnessy Review for commercial research.
Medium-Term Goals (2–5 Years):
- Develop benchmarks and metrics for CYP cancer trial delivery and participation to improve accountability and performance measurement.
Long-Term Vision (5+ Years):
- Implement systemic changes to ensure equitable trial access, reduce bottlenecks, and accelerate treatment advancements for children with cancer.
Our Commitment Through IMPACCT
In tandem with these policy asks, we are proud to introduce IMPACCT, a pioneering initiative designed to overcome systemic barriers in childhood cancer care and research. IMPACCT seeks to:
- Drive collaboration between charities, academic researchers, and healthcare providers.
- Advocate for innovative treatments and equitable trial access.
- Address long-term survivorship challenges with tailored support systems.
This initiative exemplifies our commitment to improving the lives of children with cancer, and we look forward to sharing updates as IMPACCT progresses.
Looking Ahead
The NHS 10-Year Health Plan represents a critical opportunity to address the unique needs of children and young people with cancer. Through our consultation response and initiatives like IMPACCT, we are committed to advocating for systemic change that prioritises their care.
Written by Emily Hall
Emily leads Solving Kids' Cancer UK's work in advocacy and campaigning, pushing forward our goal to influence change at a national and international level that will benefit children with cancer. Find Emily on LinkedIn.
