Matt Sample

PSA that the purpose of the #NHS is NOT to provide investment opportunities or lucrative income streams for the pharmaceutical industry #r4today >>

A hand with a cannula and a hand wearing a medical rubber glove holding hands.

Every moment counts in the fight against cancer. Our new report reveals that clinical trials are taking too long, with median set-up times rising to 20 months.

We’re investing £200 million over five years for 80,000 participants, but we must reform the system. Read the report: cruk.ink/3IReTE5

A mammoth task for me and @crukpolicy.bsky.social colleagues over the last day to get our heads around the 10 Year Health Plan - the good, the gaps, and what's now needed in the upcoming National Cancer Plan.

If you're wondering what the 10YHP could mean for cancer, take a look ⬇️

1/ With the publication of the 10 Year Health Plan for England imminent, we’ve set out three key steps the plan must take to deliver for cancer. 👇

A new economic analysis by Cancer Research UK shows that the UK economy loses £10.3bn to cancer deaths each year in lost productivity – more than any other health condition.

Last week we shared our analysis of the latest cancer waiting times data for England - showing that despite progress, many patients still face long waits before starting treatment ⏰

👇Click below to read our full blog👇

Good to hear @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social speaking with such ambition for cancer at #NHSConfedExpo

"you get that right for cancer, you don't solve all the problems in the NHS, but you create a whopping big rising tide that lifts all ships across the health service"

Cancer waiting times: Latest updates and analysis Get the latest updates on cancer waiting times in England, and what it means for people with cancer, from Cancer Research UK

⏰Latest data from NHS England shows that despite the best efforts of NHS staff, patients continue to wait far too long before starting treatment.

bit.ly/4keNzgg

Prevention Policy Research Commissions and conducts translatable research on lifestyles and behaviours that are associated with cancer which supports policies to prevent cancer.

1/🚭 CRUK-funded research from @stir.ac.uk is out! It explores the factors that affect the accessibility of vapes, like packaging, displays, flavours & retail environment. The Tobacco & Vapes Bill, if implemented, would enable the UK Govt to take action in these areas.

Pleasure to work with @crukpolicy.bsky.social colleagues to develop our proposals to the upcoming National Cancer Plan - a once in a decade opportunity to close the gap between England and the best in the world on cancer survival

Last night @itvnews.bsky.social broadcast a programme on the rising number of young people being diagnosed with bowel cancer. A great opportunity to discuss this worrying trend & how more research is needed to uncover causes of early onset cancers so we can help develop strategies to prevent them.

Early warnings, better outcomes: Getting the infrastructure right to unlock data for cancer detection - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News We explore the changes needed to the UK’s health data infrastructure get the most out of data-driven programmes like CD3.

Great from @crukpolicy.bsky.social colleague Ben Jones on data's power to boost research, support AI tech & improve cancer outcomes.

To unlock the full potential, we need to safely improve data access and availability for research, & ensure public trust.

news.cancerresearchuk.org/2025/03/19/i...

Clusters are key to boosting UK R&D activity, driving growth and most importantly helping us reach our mission of beating cancer sooner.

Our latest report highlights how UK, devolved and local governments can develop more world-class research clusters. bit.ly/4kKS2Ix%E2%A...

💥An INCREDIBLE 200k was raised for Cancer Research UK yesterday :)

It’s a do called ‘Turn The Tables’ - where politicians interview journalists for a change

Foreign Secretary David Lammy chatted to me, & Dame Priti Patel chatted to Krishnan Guru Murthy

Pleased to say that @crukpolicy.bsky.social has joined Bluesky!

It's far from a comprehensive summary of everything my team does, but here's a flavour of what we've been thinking about and working on in Health Policy here at @cancerresearchuk.org lately

Research today from Cancer Research UK suggests cancer death rates are 60% higher for people living in the most deprived areas of the UK compared with those in more affluent areas

If you want to delve into the numbers more yourself, our Cancer Waiting Times & Diagnostic Activity Data Hub is a one-stop-shop on cancer ops performance data for all four UK nations 3/3

crukcancerintelligence.shinyapps.io/CancerServic...

Importantly though, there are green shoots - the faster diagnosis standard is being met, 62d performance has improved a bit YoY and there's more ambitious interim cancer targets for 25/26. We've got progress to build on, but progress needs to accelerate to give patients the care they deserve 2/3

With new data showing almost 75k people waited +62 days to begin cancer treatment in 2024, an important clarion call from over 50 cancer charities including @cancerresearchuk.org to ensure the long-needed and welcome National Cancer Plan is backed with the £ needed to improve cancer care 1/3

@cancerresearchuk.org is speaking with #OneCancerVoice in signing this joint letter to The Times with 50+ colleagues across the cancer community

We welcome and support Wes Streeting's cancer plan - a significant step forward. If it is to deliver, then it must be a plan backed with funding

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Marie Curie, Physicist and chemist.

Today is International Day of Women & Girls in Science.

Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. Her contributions have left an indelible mark on the world of science & health & continue to inspire generations of scientists & innovators. 🔬 #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM

Blue square graphic with black and white text, which reads, 'Nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetimes* / #WorldCancerDay / *cruk.org/lifetimerisk'

On #WorldCancerDay, we welcome the UK government's commitment to publishing a National Cancer Plan for England this year and we look forward to working with them to make sure it delivers for everyone affected by cancer.

#TurningPointForCancer

If true, an important & welcome recommitment to cancer recovery from govt.

Cancer targets are there to get people into treatment w least risk of disease progression while they're waiting on the pathway. I understand the wider drive to reduce priorities, but cancer can't not make the cut.

NHS England starts sending bowel cancer screening tests to over-50s - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News Everyone aged between 50 and 52 in England is now set to receive an at-home bowel cancer screening (FIT) test.

Everyone aged 50 and 52 in England is now set to receive an at-home bowel cancer screening test

The expansion means around 850,000 extra people a year are now eligible for screening, which helps detect bowel cancer before symptoms start.

Find out more below 👇

Wes Streeting rejects NHS plan to water down A&E targets The health secretary has insisted on retaining the goal of 78 per cent of A&E patients being seen within four hours as well as PM’s promise of more routine operations

We should not be diluting our ambitions on cancer

"Cancer waits are also being discussed, with question marks over whether the NHS will maintain an interim target for 70 per cent of patients to start treatment within two months of a referral"

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Getting ahead of cancer: our 2024 research highlights - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News To end the year, we want to highlight some of our biggest stories of 2024, including big advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Our 2024 Wrapped! 🧪

- £173m awarded to our Cambridge Institute, @cruk-ci.bsky.social
- £58.7m to train clinician scientists
- 120,000+ people being recruited for the capsule sponge screening trial
- 3 cancer prevention vaccine projects

Read more about our progress this year 👇 cruk.ink/4iLz3ws

What role can NHS scientists play in delivering the genomic revolution? - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News David Wells on building an NHS workforce ready for genomic medicine, which is rapidly changing how we understand, diagnose and treat cancer.

The genomic revolution has the potential to transform cancer care 🔬

NHS specialists play a crucial role in cancer care, and expanding the NHS workforce and integrating scientists into care teams is key to unlocking the potential of genomics 👇 cruk.ink/4goGNmD

Great initial thoughts from @oliviacheek.bsky.social on the CMO's annual report which was published today

What role can NHS scientists play in delivering the genomic revolution? - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News David Wells on building an NHS workforce ready for genomic medicine, which is rapidly changing how we understand, diagnose and treat cancer.

Great new piece from CRUK's @alicehilborn.bsky.social and @davidrwells.bsky.social, Chief Exec of the Institute of Biomedical Science. Fascinating on biomedical scientists' vital role in cancer care, and the key part they're playing in NHS genomics services

news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/12/10/n...

Smoking could cause 300,000 cancer cases in UK by 2029, study finds Cancer Research urges MPs to back tobacco and vapes bill, saying damage caused by cigarettes cannot be ignored

Smoking could cause 300,000 cancer cases in UK by 2029, study finds

@cancerresearchuk.org urges MPs to back tobacco and vapes bill, saying damage caused by cigarettes cannot be ignored #SmokefreeUK

www.theguardian.com/society/2024...