APPG on Less Survivable Cancers: Proposed Work Programme 2025/26 - Mini-Inquiry into Earlier Detection and Faster Diagnosis

Objectives

The mini-inquiry is intended to improve earlier detection and faster diagnosis of less survivable cancers, with attention to barriers affecting survival and access to treatment and care. It also aims to increase parliamentary attention to these cancers and inform consideration of their needs within the 10-year Health Plan and National Cancer Strategy.[1]

• Gather evidence from subject specialists, healthcare professionals, people affected by cancer, parliamentarians and public officials on opportunities and barriers to earlier diagnosis.[1]
• Develop practical recommendations to strengthen detection, diagnosis, treatment access and care for people with less survivable cancers.[1]
• Examine surveillance and screening for high-risk groups, including the potential role of these approaches in finding cancers sooner.[1]
• Explore symptom recognition and referral pathways, alongside innovations that could support more rapid diagnosis.[1]
• Consider research, prevention, treatment and care access, palliative care, health inequalities and cancer-specific challenges affecting less survivable cancers.[1]
• Raise the profile of less survivable cancers in Parliament and connect findings to national health and cancer-policy development.[1]

The available material frames the work as a focused parliamentary inquiry rather than a clinical programme or a fully specified national delivery plan. It identifies broad areas for investigation but does not set quantified survival, diagnosis, screening or equity targets.[1]

Implementation

The work is structured around evidence gathering, parliamentary engagement, publication of recommendations and follow-up discussion. Two closed meetings are planned between February and April 2025, followed by drafting and publication of a mini-inquiry report in May and June, supported by media activity intended to promote the findings.[1]

• Hold a first closed meeting on challenges in earlier detection, screening and referral for less survivable cancers.[1]
• Hold a second closed meeting on innovations that could enable faster diagnosis and their integration into patient pathways.[1]
• Engage parliamentarians, researchers, healthcare professionals, National Health Service representatives, Department of Health and Social Care officials, patients and other relevant experts in considering system-level change.[1]
• Use the meetings to test evidence on detection, screening, referral and diagnostic technology, then consolidate findings into practical recommendations for publication.[1]
• Publish a mini-inquiry report during May and June and seek media coverage to increase awareness of its findings and recommendations.[1]
• Convene three spotlight sessions during the year, including one on creating research-friendly environments and one on implementation of the national cancer strategy with relevant All-Party Parliamentary Groups, government representatives and health-service representatives.[1]
• Confirm a further spotlight-session topic later, as the source identifies one session as still to be determined.[1]

Governance is primarily parliamentary and collaborative: the inquiry brings together elected representatives, government and health-service officials, professional and research communities, and people with lived experience. The source does not specify a formal governance structure, named lead body, decision-making process, accountability framework or arrangements for implementing recommendations after publication.[1]

Evidence collection and reporting are the main operational mechanisms. The programme identifies closed evidence meetings, a written report, spotlight sessions and media engagement, but does not specify formal performance indicators, monitoring procedures, evaluation methods, data systems or reporting milestones beyond the planned inquiry timetable.[1]

No budget, funding source, resource allocation, staffing model or costed implementation plan is specified for the inquiry, report, media activity or spotlight sessions.[1]

Monitoring & Evaluation

The programme will gather evidence through two closed meetings on earlier detection, screening, referral and diagnostic innovation, and will consolidate findings and practical recommendations in a published mini-inquiry report.[1]

• Engage parliamentarians, researchers, healthcare professionals, National Health Service and Department of Health and Social Care officials, patients and other experts in examining barriers to earlier detection and faster diagnosis.[1]
• Consider high-risk-group surveillance and screening, symptom referral, diagnostic innovation, research, treatment and care access, inequalities, palliative care, cancer-specific challenges and prevention.[1]
• Publish the report during May and June and use planned media coverage to raise the profile of less survivable cancers and its recommendations.[1]
• Hold spotlight sessions on research-friendly environments, implementation of the national cancer strategy, and a further topic to be confirmed.[1]

No formal performance indicators, targets, data-collection procedures, evaluation framework, accountability arrangements, or routine surveillance system are specified. High-risk-group surveillance is identified as an area for consideration rather than as a defined monitoring mechanism.[1]

Costing & Financing

No costs, budgets, funding sources, resource allocations, funding gaps, procurement arrangements or economic assumptions are specified for the mini-inquiry, report publication, media activity or spotlight sessions.[1]

The source identifies planned activities, including closed evidence meetings, publication of a report and three spotlight sessions, but does not provide financial estimates or explain how these activities will be financed.[1]