The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that people with rare cancers will gain quicker routes into clinical trials via the NHS App, as part of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan. The announcement, published on 31 January 2026, sits alongside broader reforms to improve access to innovative treatments. (gov.uk)
In the first phase, patients will be able to search an NIHR‑powered database and register an interest in suitable studies; over time, an opt‑in model will allow users to receive alerts about trials that may fit their clinical profile. The integration uses NIHR’s Be Part of Research service within the NHS App in England, while Be Part of Research continues to list UK‑wide studies. (gov.uk)
Ministers link the new digital route to a drive to streamline set‑up for commercial research, with a target to reduce trial initiation timelines to 150 days by March 2026 through standardised contracts and simplified approvals. The policy intent is to restore UK competitiveness and widen participation. (gov.uk)
Legislative underpinning comes from the Rare Cancers Bill, introduced by Dr Scott Arthur MP. According to the House of Commons Library, the Bill would place a duty on the Health Secretary in England to promote and support research into rare cancers, enable greater data sharing to improve trial recruitment, and require a UK‑wide review of licensing for orphan oncology medicines. The Bill passed the Commons in 2025 and is now at Lords committee stage in the 2024–26 session. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)
The Commons Library notes the Bill follows the UK Rare Diseases Framework definition of a rare cancer as one affecting fewer than 1 in 2,000 people, recognising that small and dispersed patient groups make trial recruitment difficult and slow. The measures are designed to increase consistency in access and reduce reliance on ad‑hoc referrals. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)
Workforce leadership is being strengthened. Government will appoint a national lead for rare cancers, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research will create a Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers to oversee referral pathways and ensure patients who opt in can be contacted proactively about relevant studies. (gov.uk)
Investment accompanies the structural changes. DHSC cites a £32.3 million uplift for brain cancer research since July 2024, and a new £3 million co‑fund with Cancer Research UK for the Brain Tumour Centres of Excellence starting this year. Officials say the aim is to speed translational work and improve survival for both adults and children. (gov.uk)
NIHR has separately launched the Brain Tumour Research Consortium with £13.7 million to coordinate early‑phase studies across 48 organisations, led by teams at The Royal Marsden, Great Ormond Street/UCL and Cambridge. Further NIHR funding for treatment trials is scheduled for early 2026, expanding precision‑medicine platforms and training the next generation of research leaders. (cambridgebrc.nihr.ac.uk)
In practical terms, trial access will continue through clinics and multidisciplinary teams, with the NHS App providing a parallel, patient‑initiated route. Patients can signal consent to be contacted; research teams can then screen for eligibility and invite formal enrolment, supported by a national volunteer registry that is targeting two million sign‑ups by March 2026. (gov.uk)
Scope matters for implementation. The NHS App functionality is specific to England, but the Be Part of Research service lists studies across the four UK nations. Matching and enrolment will still depend on inclusion criteria, site capacity and sponsor approvals for each study. (england.nhs.uk)
The government also plans a Cancer Clinical Trials Accelerator, to be delivered through the NIHR Industry Hub, in parallel with the MRC–NIHR Centre of Research Excellence in Clinical Trial Innovation announced in December 2025. Together these programmes are intended to speed design and delivery and broaden capacity for oncology studies. (gov.uk)
For providers, the direction of travel points to sharper performance management: DHSC has trailed public reporting of research activity and stronger links between funding and participation, alongside the March 2026 150‑day set‑up milestone. Trusts should ensure contracting, data‑submission and recruitment systems are ready. (gov.uk)
Key dates to monitor include publication of the National Cancer Plan, Lords committee proceedings on the Rare Cancers Bill, the appointment of national and NIHR rare cancer leads, and the roll‑out of opt‑in push notifications in the NHS App once testing concludes. (bills.parliament.uk)