Transforming the cycle of cancer care (December 2017)

Summary

With cancer prevalence in the UK increasing, the Patients Association led a panel of experts in a discussion to address the negative cycle of cancer care that can sometimes exist. 

Content

The UK allocates much less of its health spending to cancer (3.8%) than the EU average (5%) and survival lags behind much of Europe. While the NHS has set itself the target of radically improving cancer outcomes over the next five years, given the budget pressures on the NHS it is likely that this target will have to be achieved without any significant extra funds. This squeeze on NHS resources can lead to a negative cycle in cancer care, where too often a short term approach that focuses on immediate pressures can often lead to longer term costs, resulting in fewer resources being available. 

What should be done?

In order to support the NHS to radically improve patient outcomes, we need to break the negative cycle in cancer care. To address this challenge, the Patients Association and Bristol-Myers Squibb are working alongside experts and patients from across the cancer space to identify new models of service delivery, showcase best practice, and provide real improvements in patient care. This short video explains how: