Experiencing happiness is not something I’m accustomed to, given my battle with stage 4 incurable bowel cancer and the uncertainty of how many mornings I have left. Typically, I find myself screaming in the shower, a release for the pent-up rage of facing an early end. Today, however, my scream is one of joy. Wes Streeting seems to have embraced the crucial points from the Daily Express’s Cancer Care campaign. Confronting cancer is arguably the toughest challenge many will face, with its impact on mental health being a significant but often overlooked consequence of this devastating illness.

For far too long, cancer care teams have neglected this aspect, focusing instead on more manageable side effects like fatigue, diarrhea, and rashes from immunotherapy. Thanks to the collective efforts of readers, charities, and campaigners nationwide, we have brought attention to the fact that dealing with the mental health impacts is often the most challenging part of living with cancer.

It’s reassuring to have cancer specialists who are adept at determining the precise combination of chemotherapy drugs for each day.

But why aren’t healthcare providers supporting patients through the 3 a.m. moments of despair, when every ache and pain raises fears of cancer’s progression?

Why aren’t they connecting patients with charities and community groups that offer support for loneliness and introduce them to others who understand their struggles?

These concerns are being addressed. For over a year, the Daily Express has advocated for comprehensive mental health support for all cancer patients, both during their treatment and in the aftermath.

And, in measures revealed at a Maggie’s Centre this morning, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting shows he has listened.

For the first time, he says every patient will get a personalised cancer plan that goes beyond treatment and diagnosis and will cover the full impact of cancer on their life – from anxiety and fatigue to diet and getting back to work.

It’s vital that medical teams don’t just see this as a one-off checkbox exercise. It must be regularly updated as the impact that cancer has on a patient’s life will change throughout their treatment, just like the disease is changing inside them.

I won’t end treatment until I’m in an overpriced wooden box six feet under, but thankfully, many cancer patients do end treatment by getting the all-clear and getting on with their lives.

But once the feelings of joy and relief fade away it becomes clear just how much their lives have been permanently changed by cancer. This is why the Cancer Care campaign has always stressed the importance of support after treatment.

So it’s worth an extra scream of joy as the Health Secretary has recognised that this is an issue. And today he pledged that there will be help for survivors to get them through the psychological toll that cancer has had on their lives.

Now is the time for hospitals to step up and ensure the measures outlined today actually happen for their patients.

Personalised cancer plans can’t just be another NHS thing that’s seen as nice to have but doesn’t happen. They need to be in all cancer hospitals as soon as possible, to help people with cancer live the best lives they can.