National cancer programme director visits South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance

Ed Rose, Director of Delivery at the NHS Cancer Programme, visited South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance as part of a series of fact-finding visits to determine how Cancer Alliances are established and operate locally.  

During the day-long programme, several senior leaders within NHS South Yorkshire outlined how the Cancer Alliance operates and its importance in bringing stakeholders together to deliver national and local priorities to improve cancer services and outcomes for patients and carers. 

Some of the pioneering work being undertaken by SYB Cancer Alliance was showcased, including the development of a Behavioural Science Academy following the Nudge the Odds campaign which demonstrated improvements in screening uptake in groups who previously had not attended. 

Ed visited Doncaster to find out about the hugely successful Targeted Lung Health Checks programme and the implementation of a one-stop clinic for prostate cancer. The programme also included the Advanced Wellbeing and Research Centre in Sheffield where the Director heard about the development of a prehab and rehabilitation programme.

Ed Rose said: “We were very grateful for the invitation to see the work of the Alliance in improving cancer outcomes for people in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw, visiting colleagues from across the Alliance itself, Doncaster Royal Infirmary, and the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre. 

“We were able to hear about the Alliance’s progress on some of our priority national programmes, such as Targeted Lung Health Checks where 74% of cancers are being diagnosed at early stage compared to less than 30% in the general population. 

“But it was also fantastic to see many of the local initiatives they are taking forward, including the Behavioural Sciences Academy, their relentless focus on health inequalities, and their strong links with the voluntary sector, academia and industry.”

The afternoon brought together a number of strategic partners including Yorkshire Cancer Research, Macmillan, CRUK, Y&H Academic Health Science Network, Weston Park Cancer Charity and Sheffield University to talk about the collaborative programmes that have been developed with SYB Cancer Alliance to target inequalities, improve quality of care and promote innovations to improve cancer outcomes. 

Julia Jessop, Managing Director of SYB Cancer Alliance, said: “It has been a wonderful opportunity to be able to demonstrate how we work at a regional and South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw level. 

“The national programme is hugely supportive in terms of identifying and investing in key projects to ensure that cancer services are fully recovered from the impact of Covid as well as promoting early diagnosis and ensuring more people are living longer and better with cancer. 

“This visit has allowed us to demonstrate how we are utilising that funding to best effect and also working with our strategic partners on associated projects to further improve the quality of care that we deliver for our population.”