Government confirms new Cancer Networks funding support

Funding for Cancer Networks in the 2012-13 financial year will be provided by the Department of Health (DH), health secretary Andrew Lansley has confirmed.

The networks are used to ensure patients, medical providers and commissioners cooperate to ensure cancer services are of as high a standard as possible and Mr Lansley said they have played a "crucial role" in developing treatments for the disease over the last decade.

"I am determined that we build more clinical leadership into designing services, bringing together new clinically-led commissioning consortia with colleagues in specialties across medical, nursing and health professions," he said.

Mr Lansley, speaking at an event for the Anglia Cancer Network’s Be Clear on Cancer campaign, added that the government is taking on board the views of experts to ensure the clinical networks are as useful as possible.

Earlier in the year, the government launched the Cancer Drugs Fund, which will receive 200 million pounds of funding annually and be used to ensure patients get access to treatment.