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Here you can find the latest news and updates from the Blood Cancer Alliance.
BCA Launches General Election Manifesto 2024 - May 2024
On 15th May 2024, the Blood Cancer Alliance launched its manifesto ahead of the next UK General Election. From awareness, to diagnosis, to information, care and support, blood cancer patients are less likely to have their needs fully met than patients with the four most common cancers – breast, colorectal, lung and prostate. Given its prevalence, no government can hope to meet universal cancer diagnosis or survival targets without addressing the distinct and specific challenges faced by patients with blood cancer.
Our Manifesto leads with an overarching call to action for the next Government to produce a new national cancer strategy within its first year, which recognises the distinct challenges faced by adult and paediatric blood cancer patients and includes specific measures to address them. It also contains a number of supporting policy calls, relating to improving diagnosis, access to treatment and trials, and tackling the impact of health inequalities on patient experience. To read it in full click here.
BCA Statement on NHS England Cancer Progress Update - Spring 2024
On 8th May 2024, Blood Cancer Alliance made the following statement in reaction to the publication of NHS England’s Cancer Progress Update - Spring 2024 and blood cancer diagnosis targets:
“We welcome NHS England's latest update on progress within its cancer programme and recognise that advances are being made in the challenging circumstance of the post-pandemic backlog. We're pleased to see NHS England's commitment that improving cancer diagnosis will include rare and less commons cancers. However, many blood cancers are not stageable. This means NHS England is unable to measure progress in blood cancer diagnosis against its target of 75% of all cancers diagnosed by Stage 1 or 2. A proxy for staging metric must be developed so that we can accurately assess whether blood cancer diagnosis is improving alongside and at the same rate as diagnosis of stageable cancers.”
BCA Research Project for Tender: Blood Cancer Data across the UK
Please see linked here information regarding the Blood Cancer Alliance’s research project open for tender.
Minutes from our July Quarterly meeting
You can read the minutes from our July Quarterly meeting here.
Minutes from our Industry Partners Forum meetings
You can read the minutes from our May Industry Partners Forum meeting here.
The BCA’s Statement on the Wales Cancer Improvement Plan
Please see linked here the Blood Cancer Alliance’s statement on the Cancer Improvement Plan for Wales.
Scotland Cancer Strategy response
Please see linked here the Scotland Cancer Strategy response submitted earlier this month.
BCA submission to the 10 Year Cancer Plan: Call for Evidence
Please see linked here the BCA submission to the Governments call for evidence in their 10 Year Cancer Plan which will inform the development of the government’s 10-Year Cancer Plan for England submitted earlier this month.
BCA submission to Health and Social Care Select Committee’s Expert Panel
Please see linked here the BCA submission to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s Expert Panel’s evaluation of progress against commitments in cancer services.
Minutes from our Industry Partners Forum meetings
You can read the minutes from our November Industry Partners Forum meeting here.
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our November quarterly meeting here.
BCA Statement: Position on the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, 1st April 2022
Please find here a position paper from the BCA on the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions on 1st April 2022
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our August quarterly meeting here.
Letter to the Health Secretary about the impact of coronavirus on the blood cancer community
Please find here a letter the BCA sent to the Health Secretary Sajid Javid about the impact of coronavirus on the blood cancer community.
BCA response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee inquiry into cancer services
Please find here the BCA response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee inquiry into cancer services.
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our May quarterly meeting here.
BCA response to the APPG inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on blood cancer services
Please find here the BCA response to the APPG inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on blood cancer services.
BCA member featured in Channel 4 podcast discussing ‘Freedom Day’ and the removal of restrictions
Please find here the Channel 4 Fourcast podcast episode featuring an interview with Nick York from BCA member organisation Leukaemia Care, discussing ‘Freedom Day’ and the removal of restrictions.
BCA op-ed in Charity Today on the removal of restrictions and the impact on the blood cancer community
Please find here the BCA op-ed in Charity Today, discussing the removal of restrictions on 19th July and the impact of this on the blood cancer community.
Letter to the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary about the impact of coronavirus on the immunocompromised
Please find here a letter the BCA sent to the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary about the impact of coronavirus on the immunocompromised, in the context of the removal of restrictions on 19th July.
BCA response to the APPG for Radiotherapy Consultation: Solutions to the COVID induced cancer backlog
Please find here the BCA response to the APPG for Radiotherapy Consultation: Solutions to the COVID induced cancer backlog.
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our February quarterly meeting here.
NICE process consultation response
Please find here the BCA response to the NICE process consultation.
Letter to Health and Social Care Secretary and the JCVI, and press release issued, following research about efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine
Please find here and here the letters the BCA has sent to the Health and Social Care Secretary and the JCVI, and the press release issued, about the the publication of research from Kings College London and Francis Crick Institute that cancer patients are less protected against Covid-19 than other people after one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our November quarterly meeting here.
Letter to NHS England regarding vaccination access for blood cancer patients, families and healthcare teams
Please find here a letter the BCA has sent to NHS England regarding vaccination access for blood cancer patients, families and healthcare teams.
Blood Cancer Alliance 2020 year overview
Please find here an overview of the BCA’s key achievements for 2020.
New report on Access to Medicine
Today the Blood Cancer Alliance has released its new report on Access to Medicine. You can read the report here, including all of our recommendations to policymakers.
Minutes from the second Industry Partners Forum
You can read the minutes from our second Industry Partners Forum here.
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our August quarterly meeting here.
New Member of the BCA
We are very pleased to confirm that blood cancer charity Leukaemia Cancer Society has joined the BCA.
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our May quarterly meeting here.
Letter to NHS England
You can read our latest letter to leading NHS officials on issues that have arisen for blood cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic here.
Minutes from our quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our February quarterly meeting here.
BCA Submission to the Health and Social Care Select Committee inquiry into Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond
You can read the BCA’s submission to the Health and Social Care Select Committee inquiry here.
Minutes from our first Industry Partners Forum
You can read the minutes from our first Industry Partners Forum here.
COVID 19 - Government advice
Please find a link here to the latest advice from the Government on the coronavirus outbreak.
BCA letter to Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann MLA
On Saturday 11th January, Robin Swann MLA was appointed as the Health Minister in the newly formed Northern Ireland Executive. You can read the BCA’s letter to Mr Swann here.
Minutes from our Quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our November quarterly meeting here.
New member of the BCA
We are pleased to confirm that blood cancer charity Race Against Blood Cancer has joined the BCA.
Welsh Parliamentary written question
You can read the parliamentary written question from Angela Burns AM on blood cancer and the accompanying answer from the Minister of Health here.
Minutes from our Quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our August quarterly meeting here.
New member of the BCA
We are pleased to confirm that blood cancer charity DKMS has now joined the BCA.
BCA messaging document
You can read the BCA’s agreed and finalised messaging document here.
BCA letters to new Health Ministers
On 29th July 2019, in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s first reshuffle, Jo Churchill was announced as the new Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care Minister and Nadine Dorries was announced as the Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety Minister.
You can find the BCA letters to Jo Churchill here and to Nadine Dorries here.
Minutes from our Quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our May quarterly meeting here.
BCA letter to new Public Health and Primary Care Minister Seema Kennedy MP
On 4th April 2019, Seema Kennedy MP was announced as the new Public Health and Primary Care Minister following the resignation of Steve Brine MP. You can find the BCA’s letter to Seema Kennedy here.
Minutes from our Quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our February quarterly meeting here.
Minutes from our Quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our November quarterly meeting here.
BCA letter to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP
On 1st October the Department of Health and Social Care announced a new policy that is intended to secure patients a cancer diagnosis within three weeks. The Blood Cancer Alliance are concerned that this only focuses on the ‘Big Four’ cancers, breast, bowel, prostate and lung. You can find the Blood Cancer Alliance’s letter to Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP here.
NHS England Call for evidence response
The Blood Cancer Alliance recently responded to a call for evidence for the new NHS England Cancer Strategy. You can read our response here.
Minutes from our Quarterly meetings
You can read the minutes from our August quarterly meeting here.