AMMF unites with cancer charities to urge the government to fully fund the National Cancer Plan

On Wednesday 27th August 2025, AMMF united with over 60 national charities as One Cancer Voice to call on the UK government to deliver an ambitious, fully funded National Cancer Plan for England.

New projections from Cancer Research UK suggest that between now and 2040, 6.3 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed across England. In the 1970s, someone in England was diagnosed with cancer every four minutes. By 2040, this is expected to increase to one diagnosis every two minutes.

Cancer services are already struggling to keep up with demand, so AMMF joined together with more than 60 cancer charities – a coalition known as One Cancer Voice – to urge the UK government to ensure the National Cancer Plan, which is due to be published later this year, is bold and fully funded.

One Cancer Voice’s criteria for the National Cancer Plan

The One Cancer Voice coalition has outlined six essential tests that the plan must meet for England to become a world leader in tackling cancer.

1. Pledge to meet all cancer wait times by 2029 – the end of this Parliament. 

2. Set a new earlier diagnosis target, improve screening programmes, and support primary care to reduce later stage cancer diagnosis.

3. Introduce strong prevention policies, tackling major risk factors.

4. Ensure every patient receives the best possible treatment and inequalities are addressed.

5. Improve access to clinical trials for cancer patients, positioning the NHS as the world leader for cancer research and innovation.

6. Support everyone to live well with and beyond cancer with practical and emotional support embedded in NHS cancer care.

The charities involved in One Cancer Voice are agreed that the plan needs to be fully funded. Without this, the tests cannot be met.

Paul Howard, Head of Policy & Research at AMMF, said:
“Since the 1970s, survival for all cancers combined in England and Wales has more than doubled. Half (50%) of people diagnosed with cancer in England and Wales in 2018 are expected to survive their disease for 10 years or more.

“This excellent progress is largely driven by improvements in breast, bowel and cervical cancer – partly due to effective screening programmes that can diagnose the disease at an earlier stage, when it is easier to treat.

“Meanwhile, the number of people being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in England is rising and survival rates have not seen the same improvement, remaining amongst the lowest of all cancers. Data from the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) shows that in 2022, more than two-in-three (66.83%) people diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in England did not receive cancer treatment.

“The National Cancer Plan for England is an excellent opportunity for the UK government to transform cancer care in this country. We need to see a commitment to addressing the inequity of outcomes for people diagnosed with less survivable cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma by increasing awareness, improving access to treatment, investing in research, and prioritising earlier diagnosis.”

Further Reading:
To read about AMMF’s submission to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation for the National Cancer Plan, click here.