Yorkshire unites behind urgent call to end regional cancer inequalities

Leaders in cancer research and healthcare, people affected by cancer and local policymakers have gathered to ‘Stand with Yorkshire’ and call for the Government to address long-standing regional cancer inequalities.

Yesterday (Thursday, 3 July), as the Government launched its 10 Year Health Plan, supporters from across the region came together at Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) to help build support for Yorkshire Cancer Research’s landmark White Rose Cancer Report.  

The report, first launched in Westminster in June, is a review of evidence that highlights the most urgent action required so more people in Yorkshire and beyond can live longer healthier lives, free from cancer.  

It aims to build on commitments made in the 10 Year Health Plan by outlining four key recommendations the charity wants the Government to include in its National Cancer Plan, which is due to be published later this year.  

By highlighting Yorkshire’s unique challenges, the charity is asking the Government to put an end to historic inequalities that mean people in Yorkshire are more likely to be diagnosed with, and die from, cancer than almost anywhere else in England.  

If included in the National Cancer Plan, the report’s calls could bring better prevention, earlier diagnosis, improved treatment, and fairer funding to people in Yorkshire and across the country. 

Dr Griffiths continued: “The National Cancer Plan is a critical moment for people with cancer in Yorkshire and beyond. It is a vital opportunity to have our voices heard and help develop a cancer strategy that makes a meaningful difference to people now and in the future.

“The recommendations made in the report outline an ambitious vision so in ten years’ time England and Yorkshire can have world-leading prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The long-term solutions presented are crucial steps on the road to building an NHS fit for the future.” 

The event was hosted at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, a world-leading centre for physical activity and innovation that is home to Yorkshire Cancer Research’s pioneering, research-backed exercise treatment service Active Together. The service has now helped more than 2,000 people across Yorkshire prepare for and recover from cancer and was recently associated with 10% higher one-year survival rates.

Dr Griffiths added: “We chose Sheffield as the location for this event because it represents the very best of what’s possible when research, innovation and community come together. It’s where the charity’s research-backed cancer treatment service, Active Together, first began. Since then, it has helped thousands of people across Yorkshire prepare for and recover from cancer treatment. Exercise should be available to everyone with cancer.” 

Karen Nile, 51 from Sheffield, never expected to benefit from the research taking place at Sheffield Hallam, where she works as a Student Officer. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, she was provided with expert personalised support from Active Together leading up to and after her surgery. 

Karen said: “Rates of cancer in Sheffield and across Yorkshire really worry me. There’s a lot of work to be done to improve the number of people diagnosed early and provide better treatment. To have a prehabilitation and rehabilitation service like Active Together available in all towns and cities would be amazing. If everyone diagnosed with cancer could benefit from the same the kind of support I received, their experience from diagnosis onward could be truly transformed. That’s why it’s so important to call the Government’s attention to the life-saving impact of personalised exercise.”

Those who united to demand a cancer-free future included pioneering experts at the forefront of innovative clinical trials, people who have benefitted from vital cancer research funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and councillors and other local leaders driving change in Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said: "The White Rose Report is a bold call to action - one that demands we tackle inequalities in cancer care head-on, by investing in prevention, prioritising early diagnosis and making sure every person can benefit from the best possible treatment.

“I’m especially proud that Sheffield, a recognised centre of health innovation, is home to pioneering services like Active Together. It’s a shining example of how research-backed, community-focused care can transform lives."

Professor Rob Copeland, Director of the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, said: “We fully support the White Rose Cancer Report and its recommendations to improve cancer outcomes across Yorkshire. Global evidence shows that exercise as part of cancer treatment not only reduces the risk of death but also lowers the chance of cancer returning. 

"One of the report’s key recommendations is to make research-backed exercise treatment available to everyone after diagnosis. At the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), we’ve pioneered this approach through our Active Together programme, which has supported over 2,000 people across the region and demonstrated measurable improvements in cancer outcomes.”