The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance brings together clinical and managerial leaders from hospital trusts and other health and social care organisations to transform the diagnosis, treatment and care for cancer patients in our region.
These partnerships enable care to be more effectively planned and delivered across local cancer pathways. Pathways are the journeys that patients take through diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
This work is very important because every week 250 people in West Yorkshire and Harrogate are diagnosed with cancer and 115 people die because of the condition.
Despite some improvements, outcomes continue to be poorer in disadvantaged communities and our system continues to tackle the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We also know that the cancer challenge will continue to progress as a key population health need in West Yorkshire and Harrogate. One in two people born after 1960 are expected be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lifetime, whilst four out of every ten cancers diagnosed are avoidable based on changes to lifestyle.
Through our work as part of the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, we collaborate with a broad network of stakeholders to deliver the strategic early diagnosis and survival goals set out in the national cancer strategy.
Our focus is broad ranging, across the whole care pathway, from action on screening, prevention, and public health initiatives; through achieving earlier diagnosis and promoting innovation in care; and delivering better, personalised care, including at the end of life.
We do our best work when we create new opportunities for collaboration and innovation which were not previously thought to exist.
