Health inequalities

Making cancer care fairer

Not everyone has the same access to cancer care.
Some people are diagnosed later, miss screening, or face barriers to getting help.

We’re working across Thames Valley to change that and make cancer care fairer for everyone.

How we apply this locally

We use the NHS Core20Plus5 approach to help us target support where it’s needed most.

We focus on:

• Communities most affected by inequalities
• The cancers most commonly seen in these groups:
  skin, breast, bowel, lung and prostate

This helps us prioritise awareness, early diagnosis, and support where it will make the biggest difference.

View national Core20Plus5 – click image

Our focus in Thames Valley

In Thames Valley, we use local data to target our awareness and engagement work where it will have the greatest impact.

We focus on cancer types where inequalities are most significant in our communities:

• Skin
• Breast
• Bowel
• Lung
• Prostate

This helps us reach people at higher risk of late diagnosis and poorer outcomes.

What this means in practice

We work with communities and partners to:

• Improve awareness of cancer symptoms and screening
• Support people to access services earlier
• Reduce barriers such as language, trust, and access
• Improve experience and outcomes across the cancer pathway

Much of this work is delivered through our Cancer Allies programme, working directly with local communities.

View Thames Valley Core20Plus5 – click image