Patients in deprived and underserved areas will receive potentially life-saving earlier cancer diagnosis through a new £200 million scheme to tackle postcode lotteries in cancer care.
Local communities across England will benefit from the major investment, aimed at reducing cancer screening inequalities and catching more cancers early.
From 2026, Cancer Alliances – regional NHS partnerships that co-ordinate cancer services – and neighbourhood health services will work directly with local communities, screening commissioners and providers to develop targeted campaigns aimed at reducing the gap in screening uptake between the most and least deprived areas.
The 3-year Neighbourhood Early Diagnosis Fund, which forms part of wider ring-fenced funding for cancer totalling £200 million in 2026 to 2027, will enable Cancer Alliances to support their local NHS to reduce inequalities in communities and among groups where rates of early diagnosis are lower. The fund will form a key part of the Government’s National Cancer Plan, set to be released today.
These alliances will work with community groups and charities to identify barriers and design effective local campaigns to maximise their impact and develop targeted campaigns aimed at reducing the gap in screening uptake.
Despite the importance of early diagnosis to survival, between 2013 and 2020 there were significant differences in early diagnosis between the most affluent and the poorest areas of the country.
However, early diagnosis rates (in 2024 and 2025) are now at their highest ever level, with the rise equating to around 10,000 more people diagnosed at the earliest stages in the last year.
