About Us
The Northern Cancer Alliance is a collaborative through which health, social care and third sector stakeholders can work together to develop and deliver new models of care to achieve our collective ambition to deliver the ambitions identified by the Cancer Taskforce.
In 2015 an Independent Cancer Taskforce Strategy set out an ambitious vision for improving services, care and outcomes for everyone with cancer: fewer people getting cancer, more people surviving cancer, more people having a good experience of their treatment and care, whoever they are and wherever they live, and more people being supported. Cancer Alliances were set up across England and are considered as key to drive the change needed across the country to achieve the Taskforce’s vision. Since that time Alliances have evolved nationally to become a point of leadership for cancer services across a defined geography. .
In 2019 the NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) was published providing a vision for improving cancer outcomes and services in England over the next ten years by setting out key ambitions that include:
- by 2028, 55,000 more people each year will survive their cancer for five years or more; and
- by 2028, 75% of people with cancer will be diagnosed at an early stage (stage one or two).
These ambitions will be delivered in a way that improve quality of life and patient experience outcomes, and reduce health inequalities and variation.
The Northern Cancer Alliance covers the North East and North Cumbria geography and is aligned to the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Integrated Care System (ICS) footprint.
Our goal as an Alliance is to increase cancer survival rates across this region, ensuring that we address inequalities, reducing inequality and improving patient experience wherever possible. The Northern Cancer Alliance views patients and carers as equal partners in the design and delivery of their care and the vision is founded on the principle of putting the patient at the heart of the redesign of cancer services in every aspect of the cancer journey.
The Northern Cancer Alliance has strong clinical leadership and credibility by adopts a tripartite leadership approach.
Chair
Mr Andy Welch, Medical Director, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical Directors
Dr Katie Elliott, (Primary Care), Cancer Research UK Strategic GP, Northern Cancer Alliance
Dr Angela Wood (Secondary Care), Consultant Haematologist, South Tees NHS FT
Cancer Alliance Programme Director
Mrs Alison Featherstone