In 2000 the Government pledged to make tackling cancer in England one of its central priorities and published the NHS Cancer Plan. This ground-breaking and comprehensive strategy set out a ten year strategy to save more lives, by ensuring that people with cancer get the right professional treatment, care and support, and by tackling health inequalities.

The NHS Cancer Plan has made good progress since 2000, but needs to be updated in the face of new cancer challenges, and a changed public health environment. Cancerbackup believes it is now time for a second NHS Cancer Plan, and we are now asking the Government to develop the next Cancer Plan.

Cancerbackup is a leading member of the Cancer Campaigning Group (CCG), a collaboration of 29 charities which is consulting on the way forward for a second Cancer Plan. We also work closely with the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Cancer, who in 2006 launched their New Vision for Cancer.