MORE PEOPLE in the South East will survive cancer and live well after diagnosis under a new national cancer plan in NHS services.
The new initiative commits to saving 320,000 lives over the next decade across the country.
Patients across the South East will be among those to benefit from faster diagnosis, earlier treatment and more personalised care, NHS leaders say.
The NHS has published its new national cancer plan which sets out how services will continue to transform over the coming years.
The plan focuses on improving outcomes through earlier detection, modern diagnostics, cutting‑edge treatments and more joined‑up support for people living with and beyond cancer.
In the South East, more people are being treated faster for cancer, with the plan set to accelerate innovation in robotics, AI, and testing.
Latest figures show the South East is now ranked second in England for the Faster Diagnosis Standard, with 78% of patients receiving a diagnosis or all‑clear within 28 days.
It’s also ranked second for the 62‑day referral‑to‑treatment standard.
Half of the region’s 18 NHS trusts are already meeting a national 28‑day target, with all four Cancer Alliances working intensively to drive further improvement.
Across the region, NHS teams are already delivering some of the most advanced cancer innovations in the country.
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust continues to lead the way in diagnostics, robotics and research, completing its 10,000th robotic‑assisted cancer surgery in November last year and using AI to help identify lung cancer earlier and more reliably.
Dr Christopher Tibbs, Medical Director for the NHS in the South East, said: “This plan gives us a clear roadmap to go further and faster – and across the South East, we’re already showing what’s possible.
“From pioneering robotic surgery to new digital services that let patients book tests directly, our teams are delivering innovation that saves lives.
“We know there is more to do, but with this plan we will take the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS in the region – ensuring every patient, wherever they live in the region, gets early diagnosis, excellent treatment and the support they need to live well.”
Andrea Lewis, Regional Chief Nurse for the NHS in the South East, added: “This plan gives our teams across the South East the momentum to keep improving care for people affected by cancer. Every day I see teams embracing new ways of working — from robotic surgery and AI‑supported diagnostics to services that let patients get tests more quickly and closer to home. One of the most powerful tools we have to beat cancer is screening, which is why campaigns like Love Your Cervix are so important in encouraging women to come forward for their cervical screening, helping us eradicate cervical cancer by 2040.
“These innovations and efforts are already changing lives, and this plan will help us spread that progress even further. Our focus is simple: earlier diagnosis, excellent treatment and compassionate support for every patient, wherever they live in our region.”
