Government Targets Cancer Care Inequality With New Plan

People living in England’s rural and coastal communities have long faced a troubling reality: their chances of surviving cancer often depend on their postcode. This so-called “postcode lottery” in cancer care, where access to specialists and cutting-edge treatments varies widely depending on where one lives, is now squarely in the government’s crosshairs. On January 23, 2026, officials announced sweeping plans to tackle these disparities, promising that geography will no longer dictate a patient’s fate.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, himself a kidney cancer survivor who received treatment in London, has emerged as the public face of this campaign. According to Radio NewsHub, Streeting declared, “For too long, your chances of seeing a doctor and catching cancer early have depended on where you live. That’s not fair and has to stop.” He continued, “Whether you live in a coastal town or a rural village, you deserve the same shot at survival and quality of life as everyone else. This government will turn that promise into a reality.”

The centerpiece of the government’s initiative is the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, set for publication on February 4—World Cancer Day. This ambitious strategy aims to prevent cancer, speed up diagnosis, and improve treatment outcomes across England. At its core, the plan seeks to eliminate the postcode lottery by expanding specialist training, addressing workforce shortages, and accelerating the adoption of the latest diagnostic technologies.

One of the most striking disparities in cancer care is the shortage of consultants in deprived, rural, and coastal areas. These communities often endure longer waits for diagnosis and treatment, leading to worse outcomes and contributing to higher rates of economic inactivity. As reported by BBC and other outlets, the government will introduce new training places at NHS trusts with the biggest workforce gaps, specifically targeting under-served regions. Ministers will collaborate with royal medical colleges to entice more doctors to specialize in clinical and medical oncology, aiming to build a stronger cancer workforce where it’s needed most.

“We’re training more doctors in the communities that need them most and making sure the latest cancer detection technology reaches every corner of the country,” Streeting emphasized, as quoted in multiple news sources. The plan will also roll out new national standards for cancer care, covering the full patient journey—from diagnosis through treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation. These standards are designed to ensure that every patient, regardless of location, receives consistent, high-quality care.

Technology is another pillar of the strategy. From April 2027, new cancer-detection tests, devices, and digital tools will undergo the same rigorous approval process as medicines, overseen by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Once a technology is approved, NHS trusts across England will be required to offer it—putting an end to the days when only major specialist centers in big cities could access the latest innovations.

The first wave of technologies set to be assessed by NICE includes some genuinely groundbreaking tools. Among them is the “sponge on a string” test for oesophageal cancer, which involves patients swallowing a small capsule attached to a string. The capsule dissolves in the stomach, leaving behind a tiny sponge about the size of a 1p coin. This sponge is then withdrawn, collecting cells from the oesophageal lining for analysis. The process is quick and minimally invasive, offering the potential for earlier detection in high-risk patients.

Other tools include artificial intelligence (AI) that reads chest X-rays to help doctors spot lung cancer sooner, smart software that analyzes tissue samples for prostate and breast cancer, and new diagnostic techniques for women with unexplained vaginal bleeding—potentially catching endometrial cancer earlier. Professor Jonathan Benger, chief executive of NICE, told The Guardian, “When NICE was founded 26 years ago, it set out to end the postcode lottery in access to medicines. We’re now extending that same clarity and fairness to health tech.” He added, “These reforms mean that clinically and cost-effective medical devices, diagnostics and digital tools will start to be reimbursed and made available consistently across the NHS. This will give patients faster access to proven technologies and ensure NHS resources are spent where they make the greatest difference.”

Progress is already underway. NHS England’s latest performance figures, as cited by ITV News, show that in November 2025, 76.5% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days—a slight improvement from 76.1% the previous month and above the current target of 75%. However, the figures also reveal ongoing challenges. The proportion of patients who had their cancer confirmed within 28 days was just 55.1%, while 78.0% of those ruled out of having cancer received their result within the same timeframe. When it comes to starting definitive treatment, 70.2% of patients began therapy within 62 days of urgent referral in November, up from 68.8% in October. The government and NHS England have set a target for this figure to reach 75% by March 2026.

Since July 2025, the NHS has managed to diagnose or rule out cancer on time for 213,000 additional cases, thanks in part to the opening of 170 community diagnostic centres across England—more than 100 of which offer evening and weekend appointments. The government has also invested £70 million in state-of-the-art radiotherapy machines, helping patients access the most advanced treatments when they need them most.

Still, the road ahead is steep. Cancer survival rates in England have improved, but progress has slowed over the past decade, and the country lags behind comparable nations. Working-class and deprived communities remain disproportionately affected. According to Cancer Research UK, more than 168,000 people die from cancer in the UK each year—about 460 every day. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, put it bluntly: “No-one should be at a greater risk of dying of cancer because of where they live, but cancer death rates are around a third higher for people living in the most deprived areas of England compared to the least deprived. It’s right for the UK Government to tackle this—action is needed to boost the number of cancer specialists in the places that need them most, so everyone can be treated as quickly as possible.”

Cancer charities, patient groups, and clinicians—including Macmillan Cancer Support—have played a key role in shaping the National Cancer Plan. Steven McIntosh, chief partnerships officer at Macmillan, told The Times, “Right now, cancer care isn’t fair. Too many aren’t getting the treatment and care they need because of who they are and where they live, and rural and coastal communities often have the worst outcomes. The National Cancer Plan for England is a huge opportunity to break down the barriers to everyone accessing world class cancer care.”

As the government prepares to unveil its National Cancer Plan on World Cancer Day, hope is rising that long-standing inequalities will finally be addressed. For thousands of families across England, the promise of equal access to life-saving care—no matter the postcode—can’t come soon enough.