The Darzi Investigation: Stating the case for a cancer care revolution

The surprise appearance was at The King’s Fund Annual Conference, where the Prime Minister was joined by Secretary of State Wes Streeting and Lord Ara Darzi, following the release of Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS in England. 

Almost immediately after the election in July, Wes Streeting asked Lord Darzi to conduct a rapid review of NHS performance to understand the state of services and inform the forthcoming 10 Year Plan for Health, due to be published early next year.

Launching the Report from Lord Darzi’s Review, the Prime Minister said it was a “raw and honest assessment” of the state of the NHS across England, and many of the findings were “shocking”. However, he was keen to emphasise that while the NHS was “broken”, he is determined it is “not beaten”, and its ideals and values will not be abandoned through the necessary changes that need to be made.  

The Prime Minister said the government would ensure that healthcare would remain free at the point of use, adding “when you fall ill, you should never have to worry about the bill”. 

As well as being there when the Prime Minister announced the Review’s findings, Macmillan has been involved in the Expert Reference Group, through which we met with Lord Darzi and his team to contribute our own evidence, sharing what we know about the significant problems facing people living with cancer every day. 

One of the major findings in the report is a critical issue we at Macmillan have been sounding the alarm on for a long time: the fact that cancer care is broken.  

Far too many people are waiting too long for the results of diagnostic tests and for treatment. Survival rates are lagging far behind other countries. And where you live, or who you are, can mean you have a worse experience of cancer care or a worse outcome from your treatment. This is simply unacceptable.  

The failings highlighted in the report are widespread, with every part of the health system being placed under immense strain and failing to deliver.  

But with more people being diagnosed and living longer with cancer, we know that we can do far better, and the case for a cancer care revolution couldn’t be clearer.  

The 10-Year Health Plan is a critical moment to set out radical change and we need to see all parts of government working together to ensure the NHS and cancer care are not only repaired but are revolutionised.

This is essential for us to get to a place where everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, consistently gets world-leading care. 

This would require:

• Equity in health care: Everyone should have equitable access to cancer care and treatment that suits their individual needs. It's essential that the UK Government identifies which populations are worst affected and takes urgent action.  
• We need people with cancer to shape cancer care: Cancer care should be shaped by the people who understand it the best. The government must spend more time talking to, and hearing from, people with lived experience to help put cancer care back on track.
• We need the right skills and resources for the cancer workforce: The Darzi review states that there must be a major tilt towards technology. We agree, and while investment in research and technological innovations are all key to improving systems, they will fall short unless we have the workforce in place to use them. 
• We need personalised care: Cancer can impact all areas of a person’s life, and we need to see that reflected in the care people receive. So, this means not just focusing on the medical treatment that people need, but the impact of cancer on other areas such as their financial and emotional wellbeing. We’ll continue to fight for everyone with cancer to have detailed care plans, tailored to their individual needs, so they get the support they need, every step of the way.  

Together, we can keep campaigning for real and radical change, to ensure everyone with cancer wherever or whoever they are, gets the very best care and support. Find out more about how you can join our campaigning work on our campaigns page.