Pancreatic Cancer Action's response to the 2026 National Cancer Plan for England

Yesterday, on 4th February 2026 during World Cancer Day, a new ten-year National Cancer Plan was published for England. This is the most ambitious plan on cancer in a generation, developed in partnership with charities, clinicians and patients. The National Cancer Plan details how England will become a world leader in cancer survival and build an NHS fit for the future.

The National Cancer Plan truly puts patients first. Over 11,000 responses were received in the call for evidence in the plan, 9,000 of which were received from patients and carers. These responses have been considered, the plan is built from the patient up, is informed by lived experience, clinical insight and evidence.

Here are some actions that are detailed in the plan and how they will impact pancreatic cancer:

• They will provide faster diagnostics. A £2.3 billion investment will deliver an additional 9.5 million tests by 2029. Where possible, Community diagnostic Centres will operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week, bringing testing closer to where people live. This will greatly improve the faster and earlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer needed to improve survival.
• They will set clear quality standards for cancer services by creating cancer manuals for each tumour type. Pancreatic cancer is a unique cancer type with its own challenges so a specific manual will improve treatment and care for patients.
• They will aim to diagnose rare and less common cancers earlier by reducing emergency diagnoses and doing more proactive checks in primary care. Over 50% of pancreatic cancer cases are diagnosed in emergency settings, often when the cancer has spread too far and treatment options are limited. By improving diagnosis in primary care, patients will be diagnosed earlier and in time for life saving treatment.
• They will run local, targeted campaigns to raise awareness of cancer risks, improve screening uptake, and reduce barriers to early diagnosis in underserved communities. At Pancreatic Cancer Action, we are proud of the targeted awareness work we have done and will continue to do for the pancreatic cancer community. We will proudly partner with NHS England to support the rollout of these targeted campaigns, to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer in underserved communities.

Overall, the plan focuses on increasing earlier diagnosis, improving performance, improving quality of life and reducing inequalities. The plan’s central ambition is that by 2035, 75% of patients will either be cancer-free or are living well with cancer after 5 years. The publication of this plan marks an acceleration of change – one that over 10 years, will translate to 320,000 more lives saved and many more people supported to live well after treatment or when living with cancer as a long-term condition.