Foreword by Professor Mike Richards National Cancer Director
When I was asked in October 1999 to take on the role of National Cancer Director, I realised it would be a huge task. Having worked as a cancer physician for 17 years I knew that some of our cancer services were excellent. But there were other areas where much needed to be done to bring services up to the standards that patients rightly expect and deserve and which clinicians want to provide.
People want to be seen quickly and to receive the best possible treatment for their condition. They also want to be treated with dignity and respect and to know that their views will be taken into account when decisions about their care are made. Good communication, information, support and the best possible symptom control are high priorities for patients.
It is now widely accepted that the NHS has been under- funded for decades. For cancer this has meant that we have too few staff and inadequate facilities. This has led to unacceptably long waiting times for patients and survival rates below the average for Europe.
During my first year I worked closely with professional bodies, the voluntary sector and patient groups to identify solutions to these problems, building on the recommendations of the Calman/Hine report. This culminated in the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan in September 2000 - a comprehensive long-term strategy to tackle cancer in England.
This report sets out the progress that has been made over the past year. Thanks to the strenuous efforts of staff across the country, patients are already benefiting. We still have a long way to go, but I am confident of our success.
