Preventing cancer before it develops, and picking it up early when it does, are two of the most important ways we can beat cancer. Many of the services that help us do this – from stop smoking services to the promotion of cancer screening – are delivered locally. That’s why our Local Public Affairs and Campaigning team works with elected members and officers at local authorities across England to help improve prevention and diagnosis.
With recent UK projections suggesting that there could be half a million new cancer cases each year by 2040, we need local action to prevent cancer and diagnose it sooner. Here you can find out about our work and our policy priorities, as well as how we can support you to help prevent and detect cancer in your area.
Are you a councillor in England who wants to help us beat cancer?
This is a great opportunity for you to join a growing network of likeminded and passionate elected members through our Councillor Cancer Champions network.
We believe that councillors are in a unique position to shape and influence policy decisions, speak up on behalf of the communities they represent and communicate with the public.
Through the Councillor Cancer Champions network, we’ll work with you to advocate for sustainable public health funding, tackle health inequalities, improve local policies and promote better health and wellbeing in your local areas. We can support you to promote screening programmes, raise relevant policy issues for discussion at council meetings or help you provide evidence-based stop smoking services.
As part of your membership, you’ll get support and resources to help you succeed in their role. If you’re interested in joining the network, or want to find out more, please email the Local Public Affairs team and they’ll get back in touch.
Maintain and prioritise funding for tobacco control
The UK Government has set the ambition of making England smokefree by 2030, which means that less than 5% of the adult population smoke.
However, on current trends, we’re not on track to meet this goal. That’s why, as part of our Smokefree UK campaign, we’re asking the UK Government to:
Stop the Start: Take action to prevent young people from smoking, including consulting on a raise in the age of sale of tobacco
Start the Stop: Put more funding towards public health campaigns and stop smoking services to help people quit smoking, which could help reduce smoking rates in your local authority
As a Councillor Cancer Champion, you can support our campaign by:
Raising a Notice of Motion(PDF, 117 KB) in support of a Smokefree Fund at your full council meeting
Engaging with your MPs on our tobacco control policy calls
Visiting your local Stop Smoking Service and highlighting it on your social media platforms – if you have one in your local authority
There’s also a lot you can do locally. We think local authorities in England should take a strategic approach to reducing smoking rates by:
Developing a comprehensive tobacco control strategy that includes i) continued funding for tobacco control and ii) the provision of Stop Smoking Services in line with NICE guidance (NG209).
Working with NHS colleagues to ensure smokers receive appropriate advice and referrals to help them quit.
Hosting a tobacco control alliance that provides mass media campaigns and measures that target the illicit tobacco trade.
Taking an evidence-based approach to e-cigarettes.
We work with Metro Mayors to help bring about improvements in cancer outcomes in their city regions. We also work with Metro Mayors to support cancer research and development, and contribute to the development of local cancer strategies. To find out more about our work with Metro Mayors, please email the Local Public Affairs team.
We’re calling on the UK Government to provide more sustainable funding for public health - to prevent ill health, reduce health inequalities and support a sustainable health and social care system.
Cuts in funding for the public health grant have had a significant impact on local health services. Analysis by the Health Foundation indicates that the public health grant has been cut by 26% on a real terms, per-person basis since 2015/16. Some of the largest reductions in spending over this period were for stop smoking services and tobacco control. These saw a 45% fall in spending in real terms since 2015/16.
Taking funds away from services that prevent ill health is a false economy. Tobacco causes an estimated 125,000 deaths each year in the UK, and smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable cancer.
