Cancer Research UK's World Cancer Day 2026

Thanks to everyone who brought Cancer Research UK’s event in Parliament to my attention. I am so pleased that, in February, our Government launched the National Cancer Plan – outlining how, for the first time, the NHS will commit to ensuring three in four people diagnosed with cancer from 2035 onwards are cancer-free or living well after five years.

While I am proud that, under this Labour Government, early diagnosis rates for cancer are at a record high, I recognise there is still much work to be done. Despite vital signs of recovery in the NHS, too many people living with cancer in our local area are still receiving unacceptable care, experiencing long waiting times and sometimes even having diagnosis of their cancer missed.

That is why I welcome the new National Cancer Plan – an ambitious effort to save 320,000 lives by 2035, marking the biggest improvement in cancer outcomes in a generation. This includes meeting all three cancer waiting time standards by 2029, where 85% of patients start treatment within 62 days of referrals. I know this was a key request in Cancer Research UK’s response to our Government’s call for evidence, and welcome the way in which the Government has responded.

Moving from sickness to prevention is a core shift in our Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England, which underpins the National Cancer Plan. I strongly believe that no one should lose someone to cancer that should have been prevented. I am therefore pleased that the plan tackles the causes of cancer head-on, not by talking but with Government action. I support our Government’s goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 by increasing uptake of HPV vaccinations in community pharmacies and supporting women overdue for their screening appointment with at-home tests.

I was proud to stand on a manifesto commitment to ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes, and I was proud to recently vote for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to achieve this goal. I was pleased to see the National Cancer Plan complement this by rolling-out lung cancer screening nationally by 2030. Furthermore, the sensitivity of bowel cancer screening is going to be increased and additional measures will be introduced to end the obesity epidemic through a new healthy standard for large food and drink retailers, and by accelerating the use of weight-loss jabs.

Finally, this plan means nobody gets handed a diagnosis and is then abandoned to navigate the system alone. Having been formulated using the Public Health and Prevention Minister’s own experience of living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, patient voices are at the heart of this strategy and I welcome the commitment that every cancer patient will get an individual support plan that covers treatment, mental health and employment support.

I know that getting cancer care right means getting healthcare right. That is why the National Cancer Plan is essential to taking the NHS from the worst crisis in its history and making it fit for the future. Hearing directly from constituents in Redcar is vital, and I want you all to know that I take these concerns seriously and will not be complacent in pushing for better outcomes.