The NHS Cancer Plan lands at an important moment for cancer nursing. More people are being diagnosed with cancer, more people are surviving, and many are now living for years, sometimes decades, with the physical, psychological and social impact of cancer and its treatment. The plan recognises this shift clearly, and that is brilliant. The 11,000+ responses they had to guide this plan shine through.

What we welcome most is the move away from cancer care being seen solely as a hospital-based, episodic experience. Instead, the plan frames cancer as a long-term condition that needs personalised, coordinated support, closer to where people live. This reflects what nurses have been seeing for years: people do not stop needing care when treatment ends.

The plan’s emphasis on neighbourhood-based care resonates strongly with nursing values. Late effects of treatment, such as fatigue, pain, cognitive changes and emotional distress, are common but often under-recognised. So too are the wider impacts on work, education, family life and finances. Nurses are often the professionals who see these challenges first and stay alongside people as they navigate them.

We are particularly encouraged by the focus on supportive oncology, care that addresses symptoms, rehabilitation, psychological wellbeing and prevention alongside active treatment. This is not an “add-on”; it is essential to quality of life. Nurses already play a central role here, whether through clinical nurse specialist roles, advanced practice, community nursing or work with voluntary and community organisations.

The plan’s commitment to prehabilitation and rehabilitation is also welcome. Preparing people physically and psychologically for treatment, and supporting recovery afterwards, improves outcomes and experience. Delivering more of this support digitally and in community settings has huge potential – but it must be done in a way that avoids widening inequalities or excluding those who struggle with digital access.

Children and young people are rightly given greater prominence in this plan. Their needs are different, long-lasting and deeply interconnected with education, mental health and family support. Cancer nurses working with children and young people understand the importance of care that is flexible, holistic and developmentally appropriate, and it is good to see this recognised nationally.
The plan’s continued commitment to cancer screening, including the full rollout of lung cancer screening and improvements to bowel screening, is particularly welcome. Nurses play a critical role in making screening work, from trusted conversations in primary care and community settings, to addressing fear, stigma and practical barriers that disproportionately affect people in more deprived communities. As screening increasingly moves into neighbourhood and community spaces, there is a real opportunity for nurses to lead inclusive, culturally sensitive approaches that improve uptake and reduce inequalities, ensuring earlier diagnosis benefits those who need it most.

Where we think the plan now needs to go further is in the “how”. The proposed shift of care into neighbourhoods is exciting and absolutely the right direction from a patient perspective. But it will require a workforce that is supported, skilled and enabled to work differently. The forthcoming workforce plan will be critical in setting out how nursing roles evolve to make this a reality. Without clear investment in nursing roles, education and capacity, there is a risk that ambition outpaces deliverability.

Frameworks such as the  Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme (ACCEND) give us a strong foundation, but nurses must be actively involved in shaping new standards, particularly in areas like supportive oncology, where nursing leadership is vital. There is also real opportunity here for nurses to become neighbourhood cancer care leads, coordinating care across settings and working alongside communities, primary care and voluntary sector partners.

Overall, this Cancer Plan feels like a step forward. It reflects the realities of modern cancer care and the voices of people affected by cancer. For nurses, it offers both validation of the work we already do and an invitation to shape what comes next. If we get the workforce, education and leadership right, nursing will be central to turning this vision into lived experience for patients and families.