Core Priorities
These two core priorities were set out as national ambitions by the NHS Long Term Cancer Plan.
55,000 more people survive their cancer for at least 5 years by 2028
75% of cancers diagnosed at Stages One and Two by 2028.
Our Work Programmes
Operational Performance
Develop and deliver an Operational Performance Improvement Plan which will contribute to an improvement in the national Cancer Waiting Time Standards across SWAG:
31-Day Standard: Patients should wait no more than 31 days from the decision to treat to starting their first treatment.
62-Day Standard: Patients should wait no more than 62 days from an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to starting their first treatment.
- Improvement plans for tumour sites where 62 day performance is in the bottom quartile
- Actions where waiting is more than 31 days
- Lung 62 day pathway performance
- Seasonality plans (including continued focus on skin)
Faster Diagnosis
Achieving the 28-Day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) by March 2026:
- Patients with suspected cancer who are referred for urgent cancer checks should be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days.
Reducing the FDS gap between cancer versus non-cancer.
Priority Pathways
- Urology (including bladder and kidney)
- Gynaecology
- Breast
- Skin
- Head and neck
- Locally – lower gastrointestinal
Early Diagnosis
Timely presentation– local campaigns and community engagement to increase symptom awareness and encourage earlier presentation to GPs.
Primary care– work with Primary Care Networks and other primary care stakeholders to promote consistent implementation of NG12 guidance.
Local Innovation– Identify, fund, support and share learning from real world implementation and evaluation of new locally-developed innovations, or promising innovations 
from other regions.
Screening– Work with NHSE Regional Public Health and Commissioning teams and local partner to develop plans to increase uptake and awareness of the NHS screening programmes and encourage uptake of the HPV vaccination.
Optimise use of qFIT - ensuring it is being used to inform use of colonoscopy and to identify and address themes for Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) rejections.
Targeted Early Diagnosis programmes:
Treatment and Care
Systematic Anti-Cancer Therapies (SACT) - Continue to evaluate demand and capacity of SACT services
Treatment Variation – priority recommendations from clinical audit/GIRFT reports to reduce variation in treatment across:
- Lung
- Bowel
- Oesophageal
- Ovarian (new)
- Primary breast (new)
- Pancreatic (new)
- Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (new)
Living with and beyond cancer (LWBC)
- Complete the embedding of local agreements for Personalised Care and Support (PCS) and Personalised Stratified Follow-Up (PSFU) pathways, including digital tracking and monitoring
- Deliver co-produced improvement plans for sustainable commissioning and delivery for:
- a) psychological support
- b) cancer prehabilitation
- c) behaviour change and interventions to increase physical activity
Cross-cutting
Patient Engagement & Involvement
- Use and encourage insight and feedback from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (NCPES) to inform service improvements
- Maintain a comprehensive approach to community and public engagement
Alliance Development
- Strengthening Leadership and Culture
- Develop a robust communication and engagement plan
- Ensure that diverse voices of local communities are heard and integrated into all work programmes
Facilitate the implementation of the ACCEND programme in providers for non-medical cancer workforce .
- Continue to deliver priority recommendations identified throughout the SWAG Workforce Strategy
- Development of SWAG multi-professional educational resources available
- Supporting new roles and ways of working
Enablers and partners
- Our Workforce
- Patient involvement and engagement
- Clinical Advisory Groups
- Clinical Leadership Forums
- Digital and Diagnostic Teams
