#AndYoungPeople campaign - what next?

Why we launched #AndYoungPeople 

This is a crucial time as we come to the end of the consultation period for the Government’s National Cancer Plan for England. Now is the time to ensure that young people with cancer aren’t left behind.

Cancer is different for teenagers and young adults than it is for children and older adults – and yet they’re often overlooked.  

For example, teenagers and young adults are the age group most likely to have to see a GP three times or more before they are referred. 

Teenage Cancer Trust Chief Executive Kate Collins says “Young people need a cancer plan that takes their unique needs into consideration. There’s an opportunity right now for the Government to make a huge difference to the health of a generation – a difference that will have a real impact on their commitment to tackle the biggest killers and build a UK where everyone lives longer, healthier lives.”

What is Teenage Cancer Trust calling for?

Faster Diagnosis

We’re calling for support and training for GPs and healthcare professionals so that they can increase their awareness of symptoms of cancer in young people. We also believe that a public health campaign to raise awareness of the main symptoms of cancer in the young is urgently needed.  

Read Clayton’s story, talking about the need for faster diagnosis.

Mental Health Support

We believe that in every UK nation, every teenage and young adult with cancer must be able to access expert psychological support from a trained psychologist from the point of diagnosis and for a minimum of two years post-treatment.   

Read more about how cancer can affect young people with cancer’s mental health. 

Clinical Trials 

Every young person with cancer in the UK should have the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial where a suitable one is available. 

We know from our experience working with teenagers and young adults across the UK that currently too many young people are unable to access clinical trials.

Read Rachel & Verity’s experiences of the importance of clinical trials for young people with cancer.

What have we achieved so far?

• Over 2,000 people have signed our open letter calling on the government to ensure that the needs of young people with cancer are included in the upcoming National Cancer Plan for England. 
• We have been invited to be part of the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce which plays a crucial part in the development of the National Cancer Plan.
• In May, we were joined by young people supported by Teenage Cancer Trust, our founders, and some of our Champion MPs to deliver the open letter to the Department for Health and Social Care and visit Parliament.
• We received cross-party support from MPs at the letter hand-in, had questions tabled in the House of Commons, held meetings with MPs, organised a Parliamentary Roundtable discussing clinical trials and one of our Liberal Democrat MP champions authored a supporting letter which secured 43 supportive signatures from LibDem MPs.
• We had 927 pieces of media coverage, including features in The Times and the Independent.  
• The #AndYoungPeople hashtag had over a million impressions and 34,669 engagements on social media.  

What’s next?

While we’re proud of how our campaign has done so far – and we’ve received positive feedback from the government about our contribution – that doesn’t mean our work is finished just yet.  

Following our clinical trials roundtable, we met with Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, to discuss the barriers young people with cancer face in accessing clinical trials, and the need for recommendations to overcome these to be included within the National Cancer Plan.  

We will also continue to apply pressure on the government to ensure that young people with cancer’s unique needs are represented in the National Cancer Plan for England.

You can keep supporting the campaign by sharing our #AndYoungPeople posts when you see them on social media, ensuring that we continue to amplify the voices of young people with cancer. 

Devolved nations 

Because healthcare is devolved, the National Cancer Plan is specific to England, but we also campaign for young people in Wales and Scotland.  

Ahead of the Scottish elections on 7 May, Teenage Cancer Trust is calling on all parliamentary candidates to address the challenges faced by young people who’ve had a cancer diagnosis aged 13-24. The focus of our campaigning is to improve mental health and psychological support provision in the country, and we have been calling on government to fulfil its promise to increase the number of funded specialist psychologists. 

Find out more about our work ahead of the Scottish elections.

In Wales, ahead of the Senedd elections on 7 May, Teenage Cancer Trust is urging the next Welsh government to introduce a long-term cancer strategy that considers the needs of 13-24 year olds with cancer. Wales has some of the worst cancer outcomes in Europe, so we’re calling for urgent action ahead of the next Welsh elections. We are carefully monitoring the Wales Improvement Plan, to ensure that teenagers and young people are not left out of plans to improve cancer care.     

Find out more about our work ahead of the Welsh elections.

In Northern Ireland we are calling on the Government to ensure that diagnosing and treating cancer in this age group remains a priority, ensuring that teenagers and young adults are fully represented in healthcare planning and support services.