Campaigners queueing outside UK parliament

General Election 2024

Cancer care is at a tipping point and real people’s lives are in the balance. But it doesn’t have to be this way.  
The announcement of a new government marks a fresh opportunity to revolutionise our broken cancer care system and transform people's experience of living with cancer.    
 
Waiting lists for treatment across the NHS have been hitting record highs. Agonising waits for A&E, ambulances and GP appointments have all become the norm. On top of this, people with cancer are waiting far too long to get diagnosed and treated. Time is ticking: in these first 100 days of a new government, we need to see concrete action that brings those waiting lists down, and work starting to deliver a long-term, cross-government strategy that reimagines how we treat people with cancer.  
 
At Macmillan Cancer Support, our hope is that everyone living with cancer in the UK receives the best care in the world. Will you share your hope for change with your new MP?

By welcoming your new MP and sharing what's important to you, you can help put quality cancer care at the very top of the agenda. Find your new MP and spread the hope.
Find your new MP

Macmillan's latest General Election updates

Stay up-to-date with our latest information about the General Election in this series of blogs
A south Asian lady with brown hair with a sign supporting people with cancer .A south Asian lady with brown hair with a sign supporting people with cancer .
Sbba’s Story: How I engage my MP for better cancer care
Macmillan campaigner, Sbba, shares 6 top tips for contacting your MP and raising your voice for people living with cancer.
Macmillan staff gathered on Westminster Bridge outside the Houses of Parliament. They are wearing green Macmillan t-shirts. A photograph of a Macmillan staff gathering outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. They are wearing green Macmillan t-shirts.
King's Speech 2024
The King’s Speech was the new Government's first opportunity to outline their plans for the coming months. Here are our key points on what the speech means for people with cancer. 
Macmillan campaigners stood in the street holding signsMacmillan campaigners stood in the street holding signs
Doing whatever it takes to get cancer on the agenda
Whoever forms the next government, we’ll do whatever it takes to ensure people with cancer get the very best care. Here’s how we’ve been fighting with and for you in the lead up to the election.

More Macmillan blogs about the General Election

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Why cancer care must be a priority for the next UK Government

Cancer is the word nobody wants to hear, but the tough reality is almost everyone will be impacted by cancer at some point, either being diagnosed themselves or seeing someone they care about go through it.
Jules sits in a waiting room and is in pain.

More people being diagnosed

Every 90 seconds, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. Today, more than 3 million people are already living with the disease, and 1 in 2 of us will face it in our lifetimes.
A photo of a healthcare professional in a blood test department (Phlebotomy).

Rising demand on services

With an ageing population with more complex needs, demands on cancer services will continue to rise. In 2023, over 100,000 people affected by cancer turned to Macmillan’s free Support Line.
Jai and Mandeep are sitting in chairs in a waiting area. Jai is wearing a long, dark coat and is holding open a booklet. Next to him is Mandeep who is wearing a long sleeved white top. Both appear to be talking to each other.

Waiting lists hitting record highs

In 2023, almost 90,000 people with cancer across the UK waited more than two months to start treatment from the point of either urgent referral or first suspicion of cancer.

Inequalities in healthcare

There are also huge differences in people’s cancer experiences – often made worse because of who they are or where they live. For example, research has shown people from ethnically diverse backgrounds in the UK wait longer to be diagnosed for several types of cancer. This is unacceptable.

Jackie on waiting too long for tests and treatments

Two women with dark hair smiling and hugging. One is wearing white and the other is wearing red
Image: Jackie and her mum Rosemary

"MPs need to commit to making real change so that patients like my mother do not have to wait." 

Jackie's mum, Rosemary, had to wait 8 months to be diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of delayed appointments.

In January she finally had treatment for her tumour but is yet to be told the results, so has no idea if it was successful. Her follow-up appointment has now been pushed back to October.

Read Jackie's story

How you can help

There are lots of ways you can get involved to help us call on the next UK Government to revolutionse cancer care for everyone.
The Houses of Parliament, UKThe Houses of Parliament, UK
Write to your local candidates
Use our simple form to email all the candidates in your area standing in this election, and ask them: will you transform cancer care?
Macmillan campaigners stood in the street holding signsMacmillan campaigners stood in the street holding signs
Join our campaign network
Become a part of a movement campaigning for better support for people living with cancer.
Jules, a person with incurable cancer, sitting in a parkJules, a person with incurable cancer, sitting in a park
Share your story
Sharing your experience of cancer can help us to influence politicians and decision-makers to create a better world for people affected by cancer.