Fixing today, building tomorrow: delivering cancer care now and for the future

Name: Fixing today, building tomorrow: delivering cancer care now and for the future
Start: 2026-10-21T00:00:00.000Z
Location: The King's Fund, London, W1G 0AN

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Date: 21 Oct 2026

Time: 8.15am – 5.00pm

Location: The King's Fund, London, W1G 0AN

Price: From £110 +VAT

Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd (Novartis) has fully funded this non-promotional initiative, as part of our 2026 corporate partnership with The King’s Fund. Novartis has contributed to topics included, with The King’s Fund owning the final decision and delivery of content. All activities owned and delivered by Novartis are clearly declared separately.

Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS in England delivered a stark assessment of cancer care. Highlighting the gap between policy and reality, it found that the NHS is failing to meet some of its most important commitments, with core cancer waiting time standards missed for more than a decade and survival rates lagging behind comparable countries.

The government’s 10-year National Cancer Plan for England sets out bold ambitions to improve survival, boost early diagnosis, and deliver more equitable, patient-centred care. With ambitious targets set for 2029 and 2035, the key question remains: can the NHS deliver these commitments while still fixing today’s pressures?

At this pivotal moment, leaders across the health and care system face the challenge of building cancer services that are not only fit for today, but ready to adopt the next wave of innovation. Progress is already visible in areas, but translating national ambition into consistent, real-world improvement for patients will require co-ordinated action across the system.

This conference brings together leaders from cancer alliances, policy, clinical services, commissioning, and the VCSE sector to explore what is working, and what must change, to turn plans into practice.

Across the day sessions will explore:

• Why progress in cancer care can stall in practice, from access to funding and capacity challenges and what it takes to turn policy real-world delivery.

• How systems can redesign services and make difficult prioritisation decisions to deliver high-quality, equitable care within existing constraints.

• What it will take to improve patient experience and outcomes while adopting innovation at pace across the system.

Speakers include

Johan Kahlström
President & Managing Director UK & Ireland, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK
Gemma Peters
Chief Executive, Macmillan Cancer Support
Dr Richard Roope
Primary Care Cancer Lead, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Cancer Alliance and GP, Wessex Rapid Investigation Service
Professor Peter Johnson
National Clinical Director for Cancer, NHS England
Joni Jabbal
Head of National Systems Change, Macmillan Cancer Support
Siva Anandaciva
Director of Policy, Events, and Partnerships

Get in touch about sponsorship and exhibition

If you would like a conversation about your business goals, and how being involved with future events can help you, you find out more here or email the Partnerships team.

Programme

Wednesday, 21 Oct 2026

Cancer care is under growing pressure, with progress uneven across the system. Join us to explore what’s working, what isn’t, and what it takes to turn ambition into real improvements for patients.

Schedule

8.15am Registration opens Breakfast available
- 8.45am Welcome and introduction
- While innovation in cancer care continues to accelerate, access in practice often lags behind national guidance. This session will explore the system-level barriers (across workforce, capacity, pathways and infrastructure) that can prevent timely implementation.
  Through real-world examples and practical insights, we will highlight the role of clinical trials in building capacity for cutting edge treatments, and how organisations are overcoming access challenges, from new diagnostic models to workforce and capability-building approaches.
  The session will also examine the benefits of earlier access to innovation, including improved patient outcomes and more sustainable service delivery, and support participants to identify realistic actions to improve access within their own systems.
  Additional speakers to be confirmed.
  
  Johan Kahlström
  President & Managing Director UK & Ireland, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK
- 9.20am Question and discussion
- Alex Baylis
  Assistant Director, Policy
- Setting the context: rising demand, breached waiting times, workforce and capacity pressures and the challenge of delivering today’s services while reimagining cancer care for the innovations coming down the track.
  
  Professor Peter Johnson
  National Clinical Director for Cancer, NHS England and Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Southampton
- This session will speak directly to the tension many leaders are experiencing: how credible is the new National Cancer Plan to patients and those delivering care on the ground, given rising demand, breached waiting times and workforce constraints?
  The discussion will explore:
  How the system can deliver current performance while continuing to transform for the future.
  How national ambition translates into consistent local delivery.
  What credibility looks like from patient and VCSE perspectives in the current context.
  Additional speakers to be confirmed.
  
  Gemma Peters
  Chief Executive, Macmillan Cancer Support
11.30–12.00pm Networking break and meet the exhibitors
12.00–1.00pm Session two: breakouts
- 12.00pm Welcome and introduction
- This session will focus on how cancer services can become more efficient and productive today. It will examine where time, effort and capacity are lost across pathways, and how improving flow, interfaces and ways of working can reduce delays and improve outcomes within existing resources.
  Where bottlenecks and inefficiencies occur, and why.
  How pathway and role redesign can improve flow.
  What productivity gains look like for patients and staff.
  Speakers to be confirmed.
- 12.40pm Questions and discussion
- Charlotte Wickens
  National System Change Manager, Macmillan Cancer Support
- This session will explore how the ambitions of the National Cancer Plan are turned into funded reality, and the trade-offs that come with it. It will examine how priorities are set across systems, and how commissioning decisions shape outcomes, equity and experience on the ground.
  What gets prioritised, funded, or stopped.
  How commissioning choices affect patient outcomes.
  How systems align funding, leadership and delivery.
  Speakers to be confirmed.
- 12.40pm Questions and discussion
- 12.00pm Welcome and introduction
- This session will explore how the cancer workforce is being supported to meet future challenges, including rising demand, increasing complexity and new treatments. It will examine how workforce models, infrastructure and flexibility can better sustain delivery over time.
  Workforce challenges now and ahead.
  How infrastructure and flexibility can better support staff.
  What ways of working need to change to remain sustainable.
  How services are planning for future demand and complexity.
  Workforce skillsets needed for the future.
  Speakers to be confirmed.
- 12.40pm Questions and discussion
1.00–2.00pm Lunch, networking and exhibition
2.00–3.00pm Session three: breakouts
- Joni Jabbal
  Head of National Systems Change, Macmillan Cancer Support
- This session will examine how patients experience cancer care day-to-day, and what needs to change for national ambitions to be felt by patients, not just measured by the system. It will explore how community and neighbourhood approaches can improve experience and equity.
  Discussion will explore:
  What matters most to patients across the pathway.
  Where pathways create friction and inequity.
  How VCSE partners can act as core delivery partners.
  Speakers to be confirmed.
- 2.40pm Questions and discussion
- 2.00pm Welcome and introduction
- This session highlights how prevention and earlier engagement can reduce avoidable demand on cancer services. It will focus on practical approaches that support earlier access, better navigation and long‑term sustainability.
  This session will explore:
  How early engagement reduces downstream demand.
  The role of digital and community‑based approaches.
  What impact prevention has had in practice.
  Additional speakers to be confirmed.
  
  Dr Richard Roope
  Primary Care Cancer Lead, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Cancer alliance and GP, Wessex Rapid Investigation Service
- 2.40pm Questions and discussion
- 2.00pm Welcome and introduction
- This session will explore how digital and AI technologies are being used in practice to support delivery of the Cancer Plan. It will examine how tools are moving from pilots to system‑wide use to improve access, speed and coordination.
  Where digital and AI are already deployed.
  How technology supports faster, more coordinated care.
  What’s needed to scale beyond pilots.
  Speakers to be confirmed.
- 2.40pm Questions and discussion
3.00–3.30pm Networking break and exhibition
- Siva Anandaciva
  Director of Policy, Events, and Partnerships
- This final session will focus on how innovation can be adopted at pace within current constraints. Building on the day’s discussions, it will move beyond whether the NHS can afford innovation to what must change now to deliver it consistently at scale.
  This debate‑style session will explore:
  How innovation can be adopted within existing constraints.
  What needs to change beyond pilots and incremental improvement.
  What the system must do in the next 12–24 months.
  Speakers to be confirmed.
- 4.40pm Questions and discussion
5.00pm Close of conference

Ticket prices

Please note, there is a £20+VAT surcharge to cover the cost of processing invoices. This is in addition to the ticket price and will be added to your invoice. There is one invoice fee per order, not per ticket. There is no charge for paying by debit or credit card.

Free tickets

We offer a limited number of free tickets for people with lived experience to ensure a balance of voices in the room. To apply for a free place, please complete our free ticket request form and a member of the Events team will aim to respond within two working days. We will only consider requests made using this form.

Community groups and small charities

Community groups: £110 +VAT
Charities with less than £100k turnover: £110 +VAT
Charities and public sector

Charities with less than £1m turnover: £110+VAT
Charities with more than £1m turnover: £110 +VAT
Public sector: £110 +VAT
Small-medium sized enterprise (SME)

£410+VAT
Commercial (large private company)

£410+VAT

Frequently asked questions

Got a question about our events? Go to our frequently asked questions.

Contact us

Booking or programme enquiries

If you'd like to make a booking enquiry or have a question about the programme, please email the events team.
Sponsorship and exhibition enquiries

If you’d like a conversation about your business goals, and how being involved in this event can help you, please email the Partnerships team.

FA-11711770

Date of Preparation June 2026

Fixing today, building tomorrow: delivering cancer care now and for the future

Event partner

Event supporter

Speakers include

Johan Kahlström

Gemma Peters

Dr Richard Roope

Professor Peter Johnson

Joni Jabbal

Siva Anandaciva

Get in touch about sponsorship and exhibition

Programme

Ticket prices

Community groups and small charities

Charities and public sector

Small-medium sized enterprise (SME)

Commercial (large private company)

Frequently asked questions

Contact us

Booking or programme enquiries

Sponsorship and exhibition enquiries

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