The independent national cancer taskforce, in its report of May 2016, sets out an ambitious vision for improving services, care and outcomes for everyone with cancer:
- Fewer people getting cancer
- More people surviving cancer
- More people having positive experience in their treatment and care
- Ensuring everyone receives the same high quality services, no matter who they are or where they live
- More people being supported to live as well as possible after their treatment is over
Click here to read the full report of the independent taskforce: Achieving World Class Outcomes - A Strategy for England 2015 - 2020
A total of 19 Cancer Alliances are being set up across England to drive the changes needed to achieve the Taskforce’s vision – see our map below.
Alliances bring together NHS organisations; local councils; charities; community and voluntary organisations and groups; patients and others affected by cancer in a partnership to design and deliver the transformation of services and care; to reduce variations in the availability of good care and treatment; to deliver ongoing improvements in the future; to pilot innovative approaches and to share best practice.
Cancer Alliances are responsible, through NHS England, to the National Cancer Transformation Board. They determine how national funding should be directed to support their transformation programme to improve survival, early diagnosis, patient experience and long-term quality of life across a whole population.
Click here for more details about how Cancer Alliances are expected to work
While Alliances provide a focus for transformation and leadership on cancer locally, they don’t work in isolation but are set in the context of Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) and their five-year plans.
Within STPs, NHS organisations and local authorities in different parts of England have come together to develop ‘place based’ plans for the future of health and care services. There are 44 areas identified as the geographical footprints across which these plans are developed and implemented.
The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance is co-terminous with the West Yorkshire and Harrogate health and care partnership. Click here to find out more about the partnership.
