A Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan
We’re on a mission with CCLG – together we’re been calling for a Cancer Plan that supports children and young people, and makes sure their unique and critical needs are recognised, understood, and addressed to improve their experiences and outcomes.
Following prolonged campaigning from many cancer charities, including Young Lives vs Cancer and CCLG, the UK Government have confirmed they will publish a National Cancer Plan for England, and that they will consider cancers, like those in children and young people, that have different diagnostic and treatment pathways.
It’s crucial that any National Cancer Plan meets the needs of children and young people with cancer.
Why? Because cancer is still the biggest killer by disease in the UK of children and young people, and over 4,000 children and young people under 25 are diagnosed every year.
Cancer in children and young people is different from older adults – it’s less common, needs different treatment, has distinct impacts (including mental health and financial), and comes at a key developmental stage in life. This means the care and support they need is unique, and plans and strategies that work for adults just won’t work for them.
We’re pleased that our calls for a Cancer Plan have been heard and will do everything we can to work with the UK Government to ensure their Plans delivers the priorities outlined in our Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan.
This plan sets out key priorities for the Department for Health and Social Care so that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are recognised and catered for.
When we say children and young people, we mean anyone from birth up to the age of 25.
The Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan includes priorities and recommendations across lots of different aspects of children and young people’s cancer care, including diagnosis, treatment, patient experience, research, psychosocial support, and living beyond cancer. These priorities are set out for the Department of Health and Social care to understand and take action on them.
Each government in each UK nation makes decisions about health, as health is a devolved matter. This Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan is aimed at the UK Government in Westminster and patients receiving treatment and care for cancer in England, but we believe that the priorities and recommendations apply across the entire UK and could be useful in other nations as well.
This plan has been developed by using research and evidence, policy recommendations and clinical insight from Young Lives vs Cancer and the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group. It also reflects the views and experiences of children and young people with cancer and their families that have been shared with the charities.
Every year in the UK over 4,000 children and young people under 25 are diagnosed with cancer, and they have unique needs that require a bespoke approach.
Cancer in children and young people is different from older adults because it is less common, requires different treatment, has unique impacts (including mental health and financial), and comes at a unique developmental stage in their life. This means the care and support they need is different from adults.
Cancer strategies are often focused on adult cancers and adult care pathways. This means that they leave out children and young people, aren’t tailored for what they need, and rarely work for childhood and young people’s cancers. It is important that their needs are not overlooked.
The Scottish Government already has a “Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People”, the Northern Ireland Executive has a “Cancer Strategy for Northern Ireland” which includes children and young people.
It’s important that the UK Government also has a clear plan for children and young people with cancer in England. This could be by making sure the National Cancer Plan they have committed to publishing has a distinct focus on children and young people within it, or through publishing a separate Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan, similar to Scotland.
Whatever happens, Young Lives vs Cancer will continue to work with our partners and the UK Government to make sure the needs of children and young people with cancer are met and they get all the support they need and deserve.
We don’t yet know when the National Cancer Plan will be published. The UK Government are working on a 10-Year Plan for Health which is due to be published in Spring 2025. It is expected that the National Cancer Plan will follow after this.