On the 19th of May, we came together with a number of other organisations in the cancer sector to help shape the National Cancer Plan. The event was hosted jointly by Macmillan and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), and gave us the opportunity to set out the issues we want the government to address to better serve our community.

The National Cancer Plan is a key piece of strategy currently being developed by the national government. Designed to set the direction of cancer policy over the next ten years, the strategy will have a focus on:

• Prevention
• Early diagnosis 
• Improving patient pathways
• Treatment
• Living with and beyond cancer
• Research and innovation
• Tackling health inequalities
• Improving outcomes for rarer cancers

We know from working with LGBTIQ+ patients that our community faces barriers at each of these stages. From higher exposure to cancer risk factors, to ill-accommodating screening pathways, to a lack of information about our lives with and beyond cancer, we are met with a complex set of challenges that require systematic change to address. Being invited to inform the National Cancer Plan, and to make sure the government is hearing the voices of LGBTIQ+ patients, was therefore a brilliant opportunity.

The day began with several talks, including from representatives from Macmillan and DHSC, before moving into breakout groups for more detailed discussions. Two members of the OUTpatients team attended, and were able to shine a light on a range of topics, such as barriers to cervical screening and cultural competency training for front line healthcare professionals. We were also able to draw links between the barriers our community face and those faced by other marginalised groups, making a clear case for tackling inequalities that still remain in the sector.

This event is part of a broader outreach programme by the government to gauge views on cancer care reforms over the next decade, with a public consultation being run earlier this year as well. In our consultation submission, we were able to provide detailed information about some of the topics we didn’t cover at the event, ensuring that we are making clear and consistent asks of those in power. We will continue to amplify our community’s experience when interacting with decision makers, and look forward to seeing how the insights from this event will be reflected into the National Cancer Plan when it is published.