The Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon & Gloucestershire Cancer Alliance is the forum to bring providers and commissioners together with patients, to co-design services to optimise pathways, ensure effective integration and address variation, and are the vehicle that leads the activity required at a local level to meet the 2023/24 ambitions set out by the Cancer Taskforce.
The Cancer Alliance puts clinical leaders across primary, secondary, and tertiary care in the driving seat for improving quality and outcomes across cancer pathways, based on shared data and metrics. Continuing to deliver the strategy and its programmes will require committed leadership, smart choices around investing to save, and a firm intent to try new approaches and test new models of care.
Our Priorities
Early Diagnosis
Early Diagnosis
Faster Diagnosis
Faster Diagnosis
High Quality Modern Services
High Quality Modern Services
Patient Experience
Patient Experience
Personalised Care
Personalised Care
Latest news
Today, on World Lung Cancer Day, we are proud to share the story of Liz, whose life was changed by a simple letter through the post. In November 2024, Liz received an invitation to attend a lung health check. She’d often joked with her husband about her “left lung playing…
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We are proud to launch ‘Days Matter’ – a bold new 100-day initiative aimed at improving cancer outcomes by tackling avoidable delays across the entire cancer pathway. In cancer care, time is critical. Delays at any stage, whether in referral, diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up, can have a significant impact on…
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Published: July 2025 Patients across the Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire (SWAG) Cancer Alliance have rated their cancer care 9 out of 10, according to the latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (NCPES). This strong result reflects the dedication of staff across the region and SWAG’s ongoing commitment to improving cancer care for everyone. …
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As part of Good Care Month, we’re shining a light on the often unseen but vital roles that shape cancer care across the South West. One such role is that of the Lead Cancer Nurse (LCN) — a strategic, system-shaping position that plays a key part in improving patient experience,…
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This Sarcoma Awareness Month, we’re proud to shine a light on the vital work of our Lead Germ Cell and Sarcoma Clinical Nurse Specialist, Liz Allison, at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW). Sarcomas are cancers that develop in the supporting tissues of the body, including bone, cartilage,…
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We are proud to share The South West Radiotherapy Late Effects Services Evaluation Report. Radiotherapy-related late effects pose a significant challenge for cancer survivors, often resulting in long-term physical and emotional difficulties that impact their quality of life. Due to a lack of specialist services locally, patients identified with radiotherapy…
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Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon, and Gloucestershire (SWAG) Cancer Alliance have launched a pilot with local GPs to help detect pancreatic cancer earlier, when treatment is likely to be more effective. The initiative will run across two years as a pilot trial and will span 28 GP practices covering a patient population…
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Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer but if diagnosed at the earliest stages, bowel cancer is treatable and curable. For cancer screening to be effective, it is important that uptake is high. April is bowel cancer awareness month and the SWAG Cancer Alliance have been actively involved…
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