NHS Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance brings together clinicians and managers from health, social care and other services to transform the diagnosis, treatment and care for cancer patients.
These partnerships enable care to be more effectively planned across local cancer pathways. The alliance is made up of many stakeholders, including:
- healthcare providers from across Kent and Medway (acute and community providers, primary care)
- health service commissioners
- NHS England
- hospices
- patient representatives
- voluntary and charitable organisations (such as Macmillan, Cancer Research UK)
- National Institute for Health Research
- Public Health teams
- Health and Care Partnership (HCP) representation
- Integrated Care System (ICS) representation.
It is aligned to and working within the Integrated Care System (ICS) in Kent and Medway. The alliance also works closely with:
- NHS Kent and Medway, which plans, buys and monitors health services in Kent and Medway
- Kent and Medway Cancer Collaborative, which is a collection of organisations, services and stakeholders working together to increase cancer survival.
- Kent and Medway Cancer Action Partnership, which works to involve patients in service development. The alliance is committed to involving patients and service users in its plans to improve cancer care across the county and to make sure their voices are heard.
Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance is led by:
- Miles Scott, Executive Cancer Lead and Chief Executive of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
- Ian Vousden, Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance Programme Director
In its delivery plan, the alliance is focused on improving the following main areas in line with national expectations.
- Early diagnosis and health inequalities
- Faster diagnosis and operational performance
- Treatments and personalised care
- Innovation
- Workforce.
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.
The NHS Long Term Plan also made a huge commitment to improving cancer care, diagnosis and survival rates by 2028.
Cancer alliances were set up across England to drive the change needed to achieve these aims.