Here are some findings from the outcome of the 10-Year Cancer Plan consultation:
55% of individuals and 50% of professionals and organisations said that raising awareness of the causes of cancer and how it can be prevented should be prioritised over the next decade.
73% of individuals and 56% of professionals and organisations said that raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer should be prioritised over the next decade.
90% of individuals said that ‘getting more people diagnosed quicker’ should be prioritised over the next decade, compared to 74% of organisations and professionals.
Collectively, the most common suggestions they put forward to achieve this ambition were:
- raising public awareness of cancer symptoms and reducing the fear associated with receiving a cancer diagnosis, which can deter people from seeking help
- funding to expand the GP workforce and tackle geographic disparities, ensuring more people get seen sooner
- training for GPs to recognise a wider range of symptoms (including in children), better listen to patient concerns and act sooner (moving away from a culture of ‘watch and wait’)
- expanding diagnostic pathways, including through greater use of self-referral, at-home tests, community and mobile centres
- investing in genetic research and digital technologies (such as virtual screening)
You can read the full set of results here.
