National Cancer Board to scrutinise progress on England's Cancer Plan
A reformed National Cancer Board has met for the first time to oversee progress against more than 100 commitments in the National Cancer Plan for England.
The Board will monitor areas including earlier diagnosis, treatment and quality of life, identify where progress is falling behind and advise ministers where further action may be required.
Dedicated expert leads have also been appointed for rare cancers, children and young people’s cancers, and inequalities in cancer care.
The Board will meet every three months and publish an annual assessment of progress. A more detailed review will take place after three years to consider whether parts of the Plan need to be strengthened or updated.
The National Cancer Plan was published in February 2026 and sets an ambition for three in four people diagnosed with cancer to be cancer-free or living well five years after diagnosis by 2035.
Latest NHS England figures for July 2026 show that 79.3% of people urgently referred with suspected cancer received a diagnosis or had cancer ruled out within 28 days. The proportion starting their first definitive treatment within 62 days was 71.2%.