This clinical consensus statement sets out a shared vision for delivering equitable, high-quality acute and supportive oncology services across the UK. The work has been led by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Macmillan Cancer Support following a request from the UK government.
Access to acute and supportive oncology remains inconsistent across the UK, leading to variation in patient experience and outcomes. The statement establishes a common framework for service development, including a greater role for regional cancer alliances and networks in addressing inequality of access to services.
The consensus statement supports the delivery of the objectives set out in the National Cancer Plan for England to modernise and transform cancer care in the UK, delivering high-quality care designed around people’s lives and seamlessly coordinated across health and care settings.
The statement suggests system-level changes to facilitate progress towards better cancer care:
- Regional cancer alliances and health boards should take ownership of regional delivery
- Acute and supportive oncology should be explicitly included within cancer programme governance arrangements and integrated with urgent and emergency care, neighbourhood health and palliative care programmes
- Regional cancer alliances should establish acute oncology pathway boards to oversee the cancer pathway, with established clinical leadership and appropriate data and digital support.
The statement also recommends steps to improve access to specialist services and expertise:
- All patients should have access to expert immuno-oncology services, enabling agreed access to specialist immunosuppressive and supportive therapies for severe toxicities.
- There must be timely, compassionate and effective communication about prognosis, death and future care planning, including early recognition of uncertainty around recovery and prognosis, and consideration of physical, practical and psychological wellbeing.
- Healthcare professionals in acute and supportive oncology services must be supported and upskilled to take a proactive approach to the management of frailty, multimorbidity and psychological health, and be able to quickly draw on the expertise of a range of specialties to meet patient needs.
By embedding acute and supportive oncology across the cancer pathway, health systems can reduce emergency admissions, improve treatment tolerance and quality of life, support care closer to home, reduce inequalities and ensure that people with cancer receive coordinated, person-centred care, wherever they live.
This work has been led by RCP clinical vice president and medical oncology consultant Dr Hilary Williams and Dr Ashling Lillis, national clinical advisor at Macmillan Cancer Support and acute medicine consultant, with project support provided by the RCP and Macmillan Cancer Support. The content of the consensus statement was developed by the Acute and Supportive Oncology Collaborative (ASOC), a clinically led, multidisciplinary group that was established in January 2026. The organisations involved in developing and endorsing the statement are listed in the report.