Young Lives vs Cancer responds to Lord Darzi’s report into the NHS in England

“Now is the time for change”

Today (Thursday 12th September), Lord Darzi published the outcomes of the independent review of the NHS in England. 

In response to the review’s publication, Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive at Young Lives vs Cancer said:  

“Whilst some of the findings of this review and the reality of the challenge ahead may be shocking, they aren’t surprising, and patients and charities have been highlighting these for many years.  

“From needing to see their GP more times than adults to get a diagnosis, to not always getting the right support for their mental health and wellbeing, and everything in between – the challenges children and young people with cancer and their families continue to face are echoed in these findings.  

“When children and young people with cancer get into the health system, they most often receive brilliant care from dedicated staff, who are doing their best to deliver in challenging circumstances. But we know that some parts of the system are still broken and it’s essential that they are fixed.  

 “Despite cancer still being the biggest killer by disease of children and young people in the UK, young cancer patients are not explicitly mentioned in the report, which rightly highlights that “national policymaking on care for children and young people needs to be more joined up”. Children and young people cannot continue to be overlooked and overshadowed when it comes to transforming cancer care and support – they have unique needs and face different barriers to adults, which need bespoke action to address. 

 “The review has a strong focus on “prevention over sickness”, which we welcome as a route to easing the burdens our health service faces. However, it cannot be forgotten that cancer in children and young people is not caused by factors which can be addressed through prevention, and their needs must be prioritised too. 

“We welcome that the review highlights that our health service must be free at the point of use, based on need not ability to pay, and the impacts that financial challenges and poverty can have on health outcomes. So it’s essential that the significant financial impacts of living with cancer as a child, young person and family are also addressed, and that the cost of travelling to treatment and care is no longer a barrier to getting into the health service.  

“Now is the time for change – bold and ambitious change. As a sector, as a system, as a society, we all have a part to play to deliver the ground-breaking, systematic change to transform cancer care for children, young people and their families.  

“The UK Government will publish a 10 Year Plan for the Health Service which will “have the fingerprints of NHS staff and patients all over it”. The review says the patient voice is not loud enough, but our voice is loud, it just hasn’t been heard by the system.  

“We are very clear – children and young people with cancer must be prioritised by all parts of the UK Government, and they deserve nothing less. Together with our sector partners, Young Lives vs Cancer has set out our North Star Vision for children and young people with cancer. We’ve set out a 10 Year Plan for them too. And we’re ready to work with the UK Government, the NHS, partners, patients and more to make this happen.  

“We hope that by working together, we can ensure the 10 Year Plan for the Health Service delivers the change we need to see.”