Tumour-Agnostic Drugs to Be Fast-Tracked in the 'Long Term Plan'

He answered questions speculating about his future, by stating that he did not expect this to be his last appearance at the NHS Confederation Conference.

He noted progress in improving services during the last year, but highlighted the challenges ahead. The Long Term Plan will need to address those. All parts of the country would have to show by the end of the autumn how they will implement the key improvements.

Amongst the headline grabbers was Mr Stevens' announcement that cancer drugs which can treat different types of tumour - so-called tumour agnostic drugs - will be fast-tracked for access. He said this revolutionary class of treatments could give hope to thousands of patients in cases who had previously untreatable conditions. The drugs target tumours according to their genetic make-up, instead of where they happen to be in the body. They have been shown to shrink up to three quarters of tumours.

Two such drugs could be licensed this year - Larotrectinib, produced by Bayer; and Entrectinib, from Roche.

Mr Stevens said: "This exciting new breakthrough is the latest example of how the NHS can lead the way in the new era of personalised cancer care. The benefits for patients, in particular children, of being able to treat many different types of cancers with one drug is potentially huge, helping them to lead longer, healthier lives."

The advances have been possible due to the NHS national genomic medicine and testing service. This was launched last year, and allows patients to be tested to see if they can benefit from targeted treatment when no other options are available.

This is also in light of last year's decision for England to lead the way in Europe to fund Car-T, a treatment which programmes the body to attack rogue cells.

Mr Stevens mentioned the following key points:

• Cancer: The NHS is really embracing innovation in cancer services. For example, there have been improved outcomes and benefits from adopting treatments such as Car-T and proton beam therapy. He also referred to upcoming technologies such as liquid biopsy and the adoption of tumour agnostic services, in addition to changes in screening programmes.
• Capital Investment: The argument needs to be made for capital investment in the NHS and identify a new capital regime. The ongoing squeeze on capital funding was unsustainable.
• Workforce: Productivity has improved, but largely because of pay restraints. NHS staff are working harder under ever more pressure. There continues to be a lot of job vacancies. Several steps could support the workforce, for example reinstating continuing professional development funding, making it easier to transition between roles, increasing digital models of care and looking again at educational loan systems.
• Capacity: The base case for acute hospital beds should not be to expect further reductions as this may no longer be sustainable – increased capacity is likely to be needed in the acute sector.
• Vaccination: It is vital to show people that vaccination is not only safe, but necessary. Some middle class parents put other children at risk by not having their kids vaccinated.
• Integration: Three more parts of the country are becoming Integrated Care Systems - Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West; The North East and North Cumbria; and South East London. This brings the total to 17.

Comment

Despite current political uncertainty, Simon Stevens ploughs on with his reforms and Long Term Plan, with the vision for the future of the NHS. It is particularly pleasing to see a continued focus on innovative treatments and detection of cancer with a focus on personalised medicine.

Do you have any thoughts on the future of the NHS and Simon Stevens' plans, including the focus on personalised medicine? Please share your thoughts with Paul Gershlick in our Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences team on 01923 919 320, or complete the form below.