168,500 people die from cancer every year in the UK, and the devastating toll of the disease is far-reaching.
It puts a huge physical and emotional strain on patients, their loved ones, and those who care for them, as well as disrupting work and placing pressure on personal finances.
In truth, the personal cost of a cancer diagnosis is immeasurable. Like so many of us, I’ve seen firsthand the effects of this on members of my own family.
Alongside the deep suffering of individuals and families affected by cancer, there are profound challenges for society as a whole — including the economy.


Cancer Research UK’s latest report has revealed for the first time that the UK economy loses over £10bn to cancer deaths every year – the result of thousands of working lives being cut short by the disease.
To put that figure into perspective, that’s roughly equivalent to the average wages of over 300,000 newly-qualified NHS nurses in England.
The message to the government is clear. Investing in cancer research and care isn’t just the right thing to do morally — it’s one of the smartest economic decisions we can make.
Previous governments have failed to fully recognise that spending on health is directly linked to economic growth — with a healthier population meaning a larger and more productive workforce. In the meantime, cases of cancer have continued to soar.
There’s an opportunity to put this right. Labour came to power last year on a promise to both kick-start economic growth and deliver a transformation in healthcare. It cannot achieve one without the other.
Ministers have since introduced plans to publish a 10-Year Health Plan and a separate National Cancer Plan for England later in the year. These are welcome developments. But in the time since they were announced, thousands more people have been diagnosed with cancer. The UK government needs to start delivering tangible change for patients.
The additional funding for the NHS in the recent Spending Review was welcome, and this will be crucial to easing pressures on an already over-stretched health service. But it’s not just about more money — it’s about where that money goes.
We must diagnose more cancers earlier if we are to improve patients’ chances of survival and reduce pressure on services later down the line. Investing in primary care and focusing on increasing the public’s participation in life-saving screening programmes will be crucial to achieving this.
Changes should also be made to realise the huge potential of innovation in the health service — by ensuring clinicians have the time and space to run clinical trials, and transform groundbreaking discoveries from bench to bedside for patients across the country.
The Health Secretary Wes Streeting wants to shift healthcare in the UK from treatment to prevention. The world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a crucial step in the right direction, but we can’t stop there. The UK government has a huge role to play in helping people lead healthier lives.
Change is possible, but it will take bold action.
Just look at a country like Denmark. Years of sustained plans, funding and leadership for cancer care have left us in their rear-view mirror – with a recent study showing Denmark had a greater increase in survival than the UK for all seven key cancer sites measured since the 1990s. This has not only helped them to build health services renowned across the world – it will also benefit their economy for years to come.
The upcoming National Cancer Plan is a huge opportunity to transform cancer care. Getting this right will give people longer, better lives, relieve huge pressures on the NHS, and provide a foundation for economic growth.
The cycle of ill-health and low growth has to be broken. Dedicating resources to tackle cancer should not be seen as a cost, but a necessary investment. Because when we deliver for cancer patients, we deliver benefits for the economy and society as a whole.
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