Westminster

We campaign on issues across the patient pathway, from prevention to early diagnosis to the treatment of cancer.

We believe that beating cancer sooner should be a key focus for politicians. We are seeking political support from all parties in the UK Government on our key policy calls:

• Early Diagnosis: Diagnosing cancer at the earliest stages is crucial to giving patients the best chance of survival. However, early diagnosis rates have been stubbornly stable for a number of years. We want to see transformative action taken to accelerate progress and diagnose more cancers early – this includes optimising screening programmes and continued investment to increase capacity in diagnostic services.
• Cancer workforce: Chronic shortages across the cancer workforce are the major barrier to meeting cancer waiting times targets and improving outcomes for patients. We need to see more action taken to retain existing NHS staff and ensure that we are recruiting and training enough staff in the specialties key for the diagnosis, treatment and care of cancer patients to meet patient need both today and in the future.
• Prevention: 4 in 10 cancers are preventable, and smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable cancer in the UK. Around 6.6m people in the UK still smoke, and we want the UK Government to help people quit and make sure young people don’t start in the first place. Visit the campaign page to find out more about our calls.
• Research: Medical research, such as that undertaken by charities like Cancer Research UK, is a key part of the UK’s research and development ecosystem and is a fundamental element of the UK’s ambition to become a science and technology superpower. Government must ensure right incentives and support exist to foster a diverse and collaborative life sciences ecosystem.

The Public Affairs team takes every opportunity to meet ministers, parliamentarians and civil servants to speak to them about our views on important cancer and research issues.

Our policy experts, researchers and clinicians provide expert evidence to parliamentary committees, All Party Parliamentary Groups and public inquiries. They also help us frame responses to key government departments and other relevant public consultations.

Our Public Affairs team arranges a variety of events throughout the year including:

• Events at Westminster – including expert briefings, drop-in sessions and receptions
• Visits to our local cancer research centres and high street shops
• Political party conference activities
• Joint events with other cancer charities and the APPGs we support such as the Association of Medical Research Charities, the Smokefree Action Coalition, One Cancer Voice and the Obesity Health Alliance.  

These events enable us to share with politicians their latest local cancer statistics, highlight our policy calls, demonstrate the local and national impact of our pioneering research, show how we work in partnership, and allow politicians to find out more about how we can help with their work at Westminster.

There are a number of ways Parliamentarians can support us in Westminster and the constituency. For example:

• Using local cancer statistics when speaking to CCGs and local authorities
• Displaying our health information leaflets in constituency surgeries or constituency offices
• Meeting with the team to discuss our policy priorities
• Attending our events in Westminster to show your support
• Speaking out at debates on important cancer and research issues in Parliament
• Reading our blog for information on our work and cancer stories in the news
• Following us on twitter

We’re keen to work with Parliamentarians and provide them with the tools needed to keep cancer on the agenda.

We can help with:

• Local cancer statistics on our latest campaigns, cancer waiting times, smoking rates and more
• Expert briefings, speaking notes and policy advice.
• Suggesting parliamentary questions.
• Meeting your constituency Cancer Campaigns Ambassador.
• Constituency visits to our shops, research centres, Cancer Awareness roadshows & local Race for Life events.