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
Growing Our Community of Curious, Brave Innovators Helen Winter, SWAG Clinical Director On 13 November 2025 we launched something genuinely special: our very first SWAG Innovates Together Forum — a space for clinicians, managers, digital specialists, patient partners and community organisations to come together with one shared ambition: to do…
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Making a Difference is a short animation created in collaboration between SWAG Cancer Alliance and the University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) Medical Illustration Team. It was created to share the experience of domestic abuse victim-survivors who are also affected by cancer. The short video shares two…
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North Bristol NHS Trust Assistant Chief Nursing Officer champions national efforts to transform lung cancer care As Lung Cancer Awareness Month shines a spotlight on the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, SWAG Cancer Alliance is proud to highlight the work of Suriya Kirkpatrick, Assistant Chief Nursing Officer for Genomics and…
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The Challenge Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) was facing delays in its urology cancer pathway, making it difficult to meet national Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) targets. Staff shortages, especially among consultants, and fragmented processes meant patients often waited too long between appointments and tests. These delays increased anxiety for patients…
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Vicki Lofts, 66, from Seend in Wiltshire quit smoking in May 2025 after smoking for 55 years. Her decision to stop smoking came after she had a lung cancer screening earlier in the year which showed she had early signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Vicki quit smoking with…
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Radiotherapy is a key element of modern cancer treatment, enabling thousands of people to live longer after a cancer diagnosis. But with this progress comes a challenge: 1 in 4 people live with the long-term effects of cancer and its treatments, and radiotherapy late effects can significantly impact quality of life. The South West Radiotherapy Late Effects Services (SWRLES), established by The…
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Primary Liver cancer is one of the fastest-rising causes of cancer death in the UK. Yet, it often goes undetected until it’s too late. At Somerset Wiltshire Avon & Gloucestershire (SWAG) Cancer Alliance, we’re working with partners across the region to change that by supporting innovative programmes like ‘Alright My…
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The Challenge Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SDHFT) faced several challenges in its urology cancer pathway. There weren’t enough local anaesthetic trans perineal (LATP) biopsy appointments, and delays in lab results (histopathology) were slowing down diagnoses. Staffing shortages and limited space in the Urology Centre added further pressure. These issues meant…
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