Cancer patients in the South West will receive faster diagnosis, quicker treatment and support to live well with cancer under the National Cancer Plan, published today.

Each year, there are around 50,000 cancer diagnoses in the South West. For the first time, the NHS will commit to ensuring three in four people diagnosed with cancer from 2035 onwards are cancer-free or living well after five years – translating to 320,000 more lives saved in England over the plan’s lifetime.

The National Cancer Plan outlines an expansion of robot-assisted surgery – which has been bringing benefits to cancer patients in the South West for years – along with faster diagnostics to reduce delays and a commitment to meet all cancer waiting time standards by 2029.

Major reforms set out include:

• Robot-assisted surgery: From hip replacements to heart surgery and cancer operations, the number of robot-assisted procedures in England will increase from 70,000 to half a million by 2035, reducing complications and freeing up hospital beds.
• Faster diagnostics: A £2.3 billion investment will deliver 9.5 million additional tests across the country by 2029, investing in more scanners, digital technology and automated testing. Where possible, Community Diagnostic Centres will operate 12 hours a day, seven days a week, bringing testing closer to where people live.
• Treatment at specialist centres: More patients with rarer cancers will have their care reviewed and treated at specialist cancer centres, where they can benefit from the expertise of the best cancer doctors. These centres bring together surgeons, oncologists, specialist nurses and radiologists to agree the best treatment plan for each case.
• Genomic testing: Every patient who could benefit will be offered a test that analyses the DNA of their cancer. This helps doctors understand exactly the type of cancer someone has and choose treatments most likely to work.
• Waiting lists: New technology is being developed to give patients better access to tests for cancer by offering them the earliest available appointment from a range of NHS organisations in their local area.

Dr Trevor Smith, Regional Medical Director, South West said: “We’re incredibly proud of the progress already being made across the South West to improve cancer care — from earlier diagnosis to faster, more personalised support.

“The National Cancer Plan will help us build on this brilliant work, scale innovation even further, and ensure people across our region continue to benefit from quicker, more coordinated and more accessible cancer services.”

Patients in the South West have already been benefitting from some of the innovations supported in the National Cancer Plan.

For example, Gloucestershire Hospitals has offered groundbreaking advancements in robotic urological surgery for more than a decade. Complex surgeries include prostate, kidney and bladder removal and reconstruction.

Reflecting the National Cancer Plan’s emphasis on early diagnosis, digital innovation, and removing barriers to specialist care, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has introduced England’s first digital self‑referral pathway for breast cancer symptoms, enabling patients to refer themselves directly to diagnostic clinics via NHS 111 online or the NHS App. So far:

• Over 850 people have self‑referred
• 48 cancers have been diagnosed, with 34 patients beginning treatment quickly
• More than 700 people rapidly reassured
• Frees up GP capacity and reduces delays

Across the South West, Cancer Alliances have delivered one of England’s most advanced and comprehensive lung screening programmes, fully rolled out across the region ahead of the national programme.

Since 2022 in Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon & Gloucestershire (SWAG):

• Over 145,000 people have been invited for screening
• More than 92,000 lung health checks have been completed
• 400+ lung cancers have been diagnosed — many at a curable stage
• 50,000 scans have been completed as of January 2026

• This is one of the strongest-performing lung screening programmes in the country.

In the Peninsula (Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly):

• Over 55,756 people have been invited for screening
• More than 40,899 lung health checks have been completed
• 626 lung cancers have been diagnosed — many at a curable stage
• 23,630 scans have been completed as of January 2026

Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) is tackling delays in the skin cancer referral route via a tele-dermatology service, which reduces skin cancer waits, reduces unnecessary hospital appointments and improves dermatology capacity across the system.

• Patients have clinical photographs taken in their GP practice
• Images and clinical information are reviewed by dermatologists within a couple of weeks
• Patients are either booked for a hospital appointment or discharged with advice
• Initially piloted between February and May 2024, every PCN now has at least one participating practice.

Primary care teams are also piloting the capsule sponge test, a simple, non‑invasive diagnostic tool that detects Barrett’s Oesophagus, the only known precursor to oesophageal cancer.

• Trial sites include:
• Minchinhampton Surgery (Gloucestershire)
• Somer Valley Medical Group (North East Somerset)

These innovations collectively demonstrate the South West’s commitment to delivering high‑quality urgent cancer pathways, earlier diagnosis, reduced variation and improved patient experience across the region.