Evaluation of the Government’s progress against its policy commitments relating to cancer services in England is published
A report, which Professor Stephen Peckham co-authored, for the Health and Social Care Select Committee was published last week. In it, a number of shortcomings by the Government – against commitments on cancer services – were found.
Professor Peckham, Director for the Centre for Health Services Studies, formed part of an independent Expert Panel back in January 2021 whose purpose was to support Parliament in holding the UK Government to account against its pledges on health and social care.
It is the first time that the Expert Panel has given an overall rating of ‘inadequate’ to Government commitments it has evaluated.
The Health and Social Care Committee asked the Expert Panel to evaluate progress against pledges made by Ministers across a range of policy areas – workforce, diagnostics, living well with and beyond cancer, and technology and innovation with CQC-style ratings against five specific commitments. The work of the Expert Panel was conducted alongside an inquiry by the Committee into cancer services with its report to be published next week.
The Expert Panel acknowledges that while some progress has been made in areas such as investment in diagnostics and innovative technologies and treatments, the lack of adequate long-term planning for, and investment in, the cancer workforce undermined progress made and justified the inadequate rating.
Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Chair of the Expert Panel, said “It is clear that cancer services are facing overwhelming pressure. We identified one recurrent theme – shortages of professional staff across cancer services are undermining achievement across every commitment we looked at.
“Overall, we rate Government progress to meet its commitments as inadequate, the first time that we have found sufficient concerns in an area to warrant this rating.
“On individual commitments, we also rate progress to increase the numbers being diagnosed at earlier stages of cancer as inadequate, while progress on faster diagnosis requires improvement.
“Despite a commitment that all those with cancer will have access to personalised care, we found provision patchy without enough staff to give the care that patients have a right to expect.
“Our evaluation has also uncovered stark inequalities across cancer types and different regions in the country, not only on diagnosis but in what that will mean for their chances of survival.”
For Stephen’s bio information please visit the Centre for Health Services Studies website.
Twitter: @CHSS_Kent