Cancer patients should have a say in the development of the services that affect them

Yvette Cooper, Health Minister

Under the new scheme, patient groups will be given training and support to help them have a say in local care.

The scheme will be linked to Macmillan Cancer Relief's CancerVOICES project, which since October 2000 has run schemes where cancer patients can have a say about their care.

Technology boost

The remaining �2m government funding will be used to improve the technology used to record data on cancer, so that the information can be fed into services.

The nine existing Cancer Registries, which collect information on how common cancers are amongst the population, and on survival rates, will have strengthened links with cancer networks to improve the speed of data collection and the quality of data.

The NHS Cancer Plan, published by the government in September 2000, sets out a programme of investment and reform to tackle cancer.

This year an extra �280m was put into NHS cancer services.

The government has pledged that by 2003-4 the NHS will be spending �570m - or 30% - a year more on cancer services than it was in 2000/2001.

Listening to patients

Health minister Yvette Cooper said: "Cancer patients should have a say in the development of the services that affect them.

"Voluntary groups and charities such as Macmillan Cancer Relief have worked with patients for many years to get their views heard.

"Now we want to make sure those views are fed directly into the design of NHS services."

A spokeswoman for Macmillan Cancer Relief told BBC News Online: "Through its CancerVOICES project Macmillan Cancer Relief has already shown its commitment to ensuring that people with cancer shape decision-making about future cancer services.

"Macmillan welcomes the opportunity to extend this work in partnership with the Department of Health so that the voices of those affected by cancer are heard throughout their experience from diagnosis through treatment and care."