The Royal College of Nursing has welcomed the ambition of the Westminster government’s newly announced National Cancer Plan for England, but has warned that the strategy will only succeed if nursing staff are placed at the heart of its delivery.
The plan sets out a wide‑ranging programme of reform designed to speed up cancer diagnosis and treatment, improve survival rates and modernise cancer services across the NHS.
Under the National Cancer Plan, the NHS in England has committed to meeting all cancer waiting time standards by 2029, with hundreds of thousands more patients expected to start treatment within the 62‑day referral target.
The government says these reforms will help transform cancer care and ensure more patients receive timely, effective treatment. Despite the scale of the plan, the RCN says the announcement made little reference to the nursing workforce, raising concerns about how the proposals will be delivered in practice.
The RCN argues that nursing staff are intrinsic to every stage of cancer care, from early diagnosis and patient support through to treatment, recovery and palliative care.
Without sufficient numbers of trained nurses, and investment in recruitment, retention and specialist roles, the RCN warns that ambitious targets risk being unachievable.
Chief Nursing Officer at the Royal College of Nursing, Lynn Woolsey, said:
“This is an ambitious plan that can improve outcomes for those of us who will get a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime. It also rightly recognises the crucial role specialist nurses, such as Advanced Nurse Practitioners, can play in delivering it. Our highly skilled profession stands ready.
“The reality is that a successful cancer plan needs nursing staff at its heart.
“That includes highly skilled ANPs and cancer nurse specialists who devise and deliver person-centred treatment plans, but also community, district, and palliative care nursing staff who help people recover and live with cancer from home.
“Meeting targets, reducing waiting times and helping people live longer needs highly skilled nurses as well as new technologies. We now look forward to seeing how in the upcoming workforce plan ministers intend to grow and nurture the nursing leaders who will help transform cancer care.”
The RCN highlights that innovations outlined in the plan, such as expanded robotic surgery and specialist centres, will increase demand for:
- Specialist cancer nurses
- Clinical nurse specialists supporting complex pathways
- Research nurses to support expanded clinical trials
- Workforce capacity to deliver faster diagnostics and treatment
The organisation says failing to address workforce planning alongside service expansion risks placing additional strain on an already stretched nursing workforce.
Nurses play a central role in supporting patients through what is often a life‑changing diagnosis. The RCN says any plan aimed at improving outcomes must recognise the importance of nursing staff in:
- Coordinating care pathways
- Supporting patients and families emotionally and practically
- Ensuring continuity of care across services
- Helping patients navigate treatment and recovery
While supporting the aims of the National Cancer Plan, the RCN is calling for greater clarity on how nursing will be embedded within its implementation.
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