What are we calling for the new UK Government to do?
Now we have a new government, our Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns, Kirsty Slack, reflects on what this means for young people with cancer.
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- Policy and campaigns
New beginnings
Following the result of the General Election there is a new government in Westminster – that means a new Prime Minster, new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and 335 new MPs. It is important to take a step back and consider what this might mean for teenagers and young adults with cancer.
During the election period, we set out our key asks for the next UK Government, to help improve the care, treatment and outcomes for young people with cancer.
We know how vital it is to continue to raise the voices and experiences of young people, and highlighting to the new government how important change will be.
Every day, seven young people aged 13-24 hear the words ‘you have cancer.’ By 2030 that number will be closer to 10.
As the new government sets out their plans and new parliamentarians settle into their roles, they have the chance to drive change for a generation of young people with cancer.
What are we calling for the new UK Government to do?
- Publish a new, long-term cancer strategy in England to improve outcomes for young people with cancer,
- Ensure that every teenager and young adult with cancer has access to expert psychological support from the point they are diagnosed and for a minimum of two years after their treatment,
- Ensure that teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to clinical trials - otherwise they risk missing out on new treatments that could increase their chances of survival,
- Take action to ensure that teenagers and young adults with cancer are diagnosed faster – many have to visit their GP multiple times before they are diagnosed,
- Ensure that teenagers and young adults with cancer are offered appropriate treatment to preserve their fertility. The government must commit to further research to understand why some young people face challenges preserving their fertility,
- Ensure that good quality, timely data for teenagers and young adults with cancer is readily available, providing insights into the unique issues that young people face,
- Future planning for the NHS workforce is essential to provide necessary detail about how capacity within cancer care can be increased. Additionally, it is vital that the government guarantees there is a specialist workforce available to treat teenagers and young adults with cancer.
Labour Party Manifesto
The Labour Party Manifesto includes a number of commitments that we hope might help to drive vital change for young people with cancer. We will be looking closely at the details to understand more about what this could mean for young people.
These commitments include:
- A focus on getting people diagnosed earlier by creating a new fund called ‘Fit For the Future’ which will double the number of CT and MRI scanners,
- Looking to maximise the country’s potential to lead the world in clinical trials,
- Guaranteeing in-person GP appointments for anyone who wants one, to improve diagnosis.
As we start to engage with MPs over the coming weeks and months, we will keep you updated what the government’s plans mean for teenagers and young adults with cancer and the progress towards our policy calls.
Facing cancer is incredibly hard at any age. But there are lots of reasons cancer can hit young people even harder.
- Getting a cancer diagnosis in the first place is harder. Although cancer in teenagers and young adults is more common than you might think, it’s still relatively rare, and symptoms can often be mistaken for growing pains or infections. In a 2022 survey, nearly half (47%) of teenagers and young adults diagnosed with cancer had to see their GP three or more times before referral – the most out of any age group.
- Cancer treatments can be less effective for young people. The physical changes and rapid growth we go through during puberty and young adulthood can negatively affect how the body metabolises chemotherapy drugs, for example, or can lead to more severe side-effects with a higher risk of short and long-term complications.
- Accessing clinical trials can be harder. Clinical trials help researchers find new and better treatments. But many trials are designed for children or older adults, meaning teenagers and young adults might not be eligible to join or won’t get treatment tailored to their age group. And because there are lots of different types of cancer that can affect young people, patient numbers for each cancer type are small, which makes it harder to recruit and run trials.
If you’re young and have been through cancer, your voice is vital to Teenage Cancer Trust. Click here to find out more and join our Creative & Campaigns Group for the chance to have your voice heard, learn new skills and help us make the biggest impact with our work. There are many ways to get involved, including being a campaigner and helping us influence policy makers on the key issues for young people with cancer.