As the year draws to a close, it feels like a natural moment to pause and reflect on what we’ve experienced together across the North Central London Cancer Alliance in 2025.
This has been another demanding year for the NHS, marked by change, pressure and uncertainty. In that context, what stands out most to me is the care, determination and teamwork shown every day by colleagues across our system. It’s because of that collective effort that we can look back on the year with a sense of progress, alongside a clear understanding that there is still more for us to do.
Together with our local trusts and partners, we have seen encouraging improvements in cancer waiting times. North Central London is currently performing strongly against the 62-day standard, helping more people move from referral to diagnosis and treatment more quickly, and we are also performing well against the Faster Diagnosis Standard. These improvements are not about rankings or targets; they represent real people receiving answers and care sooner, and that matters deeply.
This year also marked important progress in earlier diagnosis and prevention. In September, we reached a significant milestone by inviting all eligible residents across North Central London to take part in Lung Cancer Screening. This has already contributed to a meaningful improvement in early diagnosis, with 57% of lung cancers now being identified at an early stage (25% higher than just a few years ago). Our focus now is on working closely with communities and partners to ensure people feel informed, supported and confident to take up the offer in a way that feels right for them.
We were proud to support UCLH in becoming the first trust in England to offer an ovarian cancer surveillance service for women at high risk due to BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene alterations. This service reflects a growing shift towards more personalised, proactive cancer care.
Another moment of real progress came with HPV self-sampling. Working in partnership with NELCA, we supported and helped shape a major research study led by King’s College London, which has informed the national decision to adopt HPV self-sampling for people who are overdue their cervical screening. Knowing that this work will help more people access screening from 2026 is something we are genuinely proud of.
Alongside these milestones, much of the Alliance’s impact comes from the quieter, everyday work that often goes unseen but is just as important. This includes:
- Building stronger relationships with voluntary and community organisations, helping trusted local voices to share cancer awareness messages and reduce inequalities.
- Supporting urology nurses to come together as a local professional community, creating space for learning, confidence and shared best practice.
- Working with public health colleagues to increase uptake of the HPV vaccine among school-aged children, contributing to the long-term ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
- Supporting and nurturing our cancer workforce, those already doing vital work, and those just starting out, including T-level students considering a future career in cancer care.
None of this progress belongs to any one organisation or team. It belongs to the clinicians, nurses, support staff, researchers, volunteers, community partners and colleagues across the system who bring commitment and compassion to their work every day.
I am deeply grateful to each of you.
As we look ahead to 2026, I am hopeful, not because the challenges will disappear, but because of the strength of our partnerships and the shared purpose that runs through our work.
I wish all our colleagues and partners a peaceful, restorative holiday period, and a healthy and happy new year.