Government says more people will survive cancer under new 10-year plan

The government published a 10-year national cancer plan that aims to raise five-year survival to 75% for patients diagnosed from 2035 and to meet all cancer waiting-time targets by 2029.

The government has published a 10-year national cancer plan that sets new survival and waiting-time goals for England. The plan aims to raise five-year survival to 75% for patients diagnosed from 2035 and pledges that the NHS will meet cancer waiting-time targets by 2029. It includes investments in diagnostics, wider use of genomic testing, and a large expansion of robot-assisted surgery to shorten waits and reduce complications. The plan arrives amid existing shortfalls in equipment, staff and current performance that commentators and charities have highlighted. Key points: - The plan sets a target that 75% of people diagnosed from 2035 will be cancer-free or living well after five years, up from about 60% now, and the Department of Health estimates this would translate to around 320,000 more lives saved over the plan's lifetime. - The NHS is pledged to meet all cancer waiting-time targets by 2029; current performance for the 62-day urgent referral target was reported at 70.2% in November, with an interim target of 75% by March 2026. - The plan includes a £2.3 billion investment to deliver about 9.5 million additional tests by 2029, more scanners, digital technology and automated testing, and extended hours for Community Diagnostic Centres where possible. - Robot-assisted procedures are planned to increase from about 70,000 now to roughly half a million by 2035, with the aim of reducing complications and freeing hospital capacity. - More patients with rarer cancers are to have care reviewed at specialist cancer centres, and every patient deemed to benefit will be offered a genomic test to analyse the DNA of their cancer. - Some health experts and political figures welcomed the ambition but raised concerns about funding, staffing and the scale of improvement needed to meet the targets. Summary: The plan sets multi-year targets intended to improve early diagnosis, shorten waits and raise survival rates, backed by specific investments and technology goals. Observers note existing capacity and funding gaps, and details on how the improvements will be fully delivered and financed are still awaited.