If you want to see why ending the cancer postcode lottery can’t wait, don’t look to Westminster. Look to the working quay in North Shields, where Macmillan Cancer Support stood this week alongside fishermen who will face a higher risk of cancer simply because of where they live and work. This is just one example of Britain’s cancer divide, and it must be closed.

To truly grasp the urgency of addressing the cancer postcode lottery, shift your gaze from Westminster to North Shields’ bustling quay. There, Macmillan Cancer Support joined forces with local fishermen, who face heightened cancer risks simply due to their geographic and occupational circumstances. This scenario exemplifies the stark cancer disparities within the UK that urgently need resolution.

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In the north-east of England, manual laborers, including those in the fishing industry, exhibit higher smoking rates compared to other professions. These fishing communities are frequently situated in areas plagued by deprivation, where official figures reveal lower cancer survival rates and elevated mortality rates.

At Macmillan, the repercussions of these disparities are evident daily. Late-stage cancer diagnoses often result in fewer treatment options and poorer outcomes. Individuals may feel isolated not just due to their illness but also because of their location, distant from hospitals, support networks, and others who understand their plight.

Rather than expecting people to navigate complex systems or travel long distances, the project brings cancer awareness into trusted local spaces, led by people who understand the realities of life at sea.

Through trained Cancer Community Champions – including active, former and retired fishermen and their families – we aim to reduce cancer stigma, improve awareness of cancer signs and symptoms, and encourage earlier engagement with screening and health services.

These conversations don’t happen in clinics; they happen on quaysides, in harbours and where trust already exists.

One of those champions is Paul Watson, a North Shields fishmonger who has been through cancer himself and is now in remission. Paul uses his own experience to talk openly about skin cancer and sun safety. Already, those conversations are making a difference: one fisherman diagnosed early, another reassured with an all-clear after a mole check.

This is what early detection looks like in practice.

The Government’s commitment to end the cancer postcode lottery, including investment in cancer specialists, new national standards and fairer rollout of diagnostic technologies, is a welcome step.

But it will only succeed if it recognises that inequity is about access, trust and whether people feel able to seek help at all.

The National Cancer Plan for England is a vital opportunity to change outcomes for the better. To succeed, it must prioritise communities who have historically faced the worst outcomes. That means investing not only in hospitals and technology, but in partnerships with communities and the voluntary sector.

Cancer care isn’t fair right now. Calling it a “postcode lottery” suggests it’s down to luck, but it isn’t.

The care people receive depends all too often on who they are, where they live, and whether the system has ever truly served their community.

With the right focus, proper sustainable investment, and partnership with communities that have been overlooked for too long, we can change the story. If the National Cancer Plan for England delivers on its promises, we can start to close these gaps and build a future where everyone, wherever they live, has the same chance to get the best care.