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APPG Blood Cancer

All Party Parliamentary Group on Blood Cancer 

About the APPG

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Blood Cancer was established in July 2026 and provides a cross-party forum for parliamentarians to engage with Government, system leaders and the blood cancer community to advocate for practical, evidence-based solutions that seek to improve outcomes and quality of life for people affected by blood cancer.

The Blood Cancer Alliance (BCA), with support from agency partners M+F Health, provide Secretariat services for the APPG, including management of meetings, events, enquiries, and supporting the Chair’s office with delivery of the APPG’s work programme.

The APPG holds quarterly meetings on a range of topics affecting people living with blood cancer, with a current focus on improving care provided to people on active monitoring pathways, and reviewing progress made against the Government’s National Cancer Plan. Future work is anticipated to include an inquiry into the impact of inequalities in blood cancer care and outcomes.

Officers

Paul Davies MP, Chair of the APPG: “I am delighted to be chairing the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Blood Cancer at such an important time. This APPG provides a vital platform for parliamentarians to work collaboratively with Government, colleagues across both Houses, health system leaders and experts from across the blood cancer community.

Together, we have an opportunity to identify practical, evidence-based ways to improve diagnosis, treatment and care for people affected by blood cancer, while supporting delivery of the ambitions set out in the National Cancer Plan.

Members

Sadik Al-Hassan MP · MP Dr Scott Arthur · Clive Betts MP · Sarah Bool MP · Josh Fenton-Glynn · Clive Jones MP · Jayne Kirkham MP · Lord Mendelsohn · Julie Minns MP · Layla Moran MP · Baroness Morgan · Baroness Ritchie · Jim Shannon MP · Liz Twist MP · Martin Vickers MP

Meetings and Publications

·       October 2026: APPG Oral Evidence Session: Active Monitoring Inquiry

As part of the APPG’s inquiry into active monitoring, the Group held an oral evidence session on Wednesday 21 October, in Room R, Portcullis House.

The session followed the Group’s call for written evidence, open between September and October 2026, and brought together patients with lived experience of active monitoring, parliamentarians, clinicians and patient organisations.

The discussion explored the challenges experienced by blood cancer patients on active monitoring, including the emotional and psychological impact of uncertainty and experiences of navigating primary and specialist care.

The Group will bring together the evidence gathered as part of the inquiry to inform a forthcoming report and key recommendations for improving care and support for blood cancer patients on active monitoring.

Parliamentarians

  • Paul Davies MP

  • Douglas McAllister MP

  • Mark Tami MP

  • Baroness Golding

  • Lord Foulkes

Attendees

  • Peter Allen, Chair and Patient Advocate, CLL Support Association

  • Anna Grint, Public and Patient Affairs Advisor, Lymphoma Action

  • Jane Nicholson, CEO, WMUK

  • Alison McKinney, Chief Nursing Officer, WMUK

  • Jean Harding, Lymphoma Action Patient Representative

  • Ruth Lester, Lymphoma Action Patient Representative

  • Chrissie Kirby, Macmillan Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Trustee, Lymphoma Action

  • Dr Ben Kennedy, Consultant Haematologist

  • Dr Samir Agrawal, Consultant and CLL Support Trustee

  • Adam Spielman, Executive Committee, MPN Voice

  • Rhys Owens, Senior Clinical Practice Officer, Myeloma UK

  • Hilary Webb, Health Systems Policy Manager, BCUK

  • Professor Anna Schuh, Consultant Haematologist

Secretariat

  • Katie Begg (Blood Cancer Alliance)

  • Claire Poynton (M+F Health)

  • Jonathan Baily (M+F Health)

·       July 2026: APPG Inaugural Meeting

The inaugural meeting of the APPG on Blood Cancer was held on Wednesday 8 July, Room Q, Portcullis House.

Paul Davies MP (Labour, Colne Valley) was elected as Chair.

Sorcha Eastwood MP (Alliance, Lagan Valley), Douglas McAllister MP (Labour, West Dunbartonshire) and Paul Holmes MP (Conservative, Hamble Valley) were elected as Officers.

Meeting attendees

  • Paul Davies MP (Labour, Colne Valley)

  • Douglas McAllister MP (Labour, West Dunbartonshire)

  • Clive Jones MP (Liberal Democrat, Wokingham)

  • Sarah Bool MP (Conservative, South Northamptonshire)

  • Dr Scott Arthur MP (Labour, Edinburgh South West)

  • Sir Mark Tami MP (Labour, Alyn and Deeside)

Apologies

  • Sorcha Eastwood MP (Alliance, Lagan Valley)

  • Paul Holmes MP (Conservative, Hamble Valley)

Secretariat

  • Katie Begg (Blood Cancer Alliance)

  • Greg Sutherland (M+F Health)

  • Jonathan Baily (M+F Health)

News

·       July 2026: APPG Blood Cancer established

ANNOUNCEMENT: All Party Parliamentary Group on Blood Cancer Launched Call for Written Evidence on Blood Cancer and Active Monitoring

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Blood Cancer has today launched a new inquiry into the experience of, and provision of care for, patients with blood cancer on ‘Active Monitoring’. We are inviting submissions of written evidence from patients, clinicians, researchers, NHS system specialists, interested stakeholders, and patient organisations on a range of issues, including:

  • the patient experience of being on an Active Monitoring care pathway

  • what provision is in place to ensure patient need is met

  • whether there is national variation in care and support for these patients

  • where stronger care provision and pathway improvements may be required

  • what the challenges are for patients navigating the NHS system and finding the care they need while on active monitoring

Patient, Family and Carer Questionnaire

Healthcare Professionals and Organisations Questionnaire

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday 20th October 2026, but we encourage early submissions.

For patients receiving certain types of blood cancer diagnoses, immediate treatment for their condition is not clinically suitable and therefore they are instead put on a care plan referred to as ‘Active Monitoring’, formerly known as ‘Watch and Wait’. Active monitoring is a common approach after a diagnosis of a chronic leukaemia or lymphoma (CLL, SLL, mantle cell lymphoma or follicular lymphoma), Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinaemia, and smouldering myeloma, for example. This practice involves the patient being regularly monitored to determine whether their condition has progressed to the stage of requiring treatment. Patients can be on Active Monitoring for periods ranging from a number of months to many years. There are currently c. 53,000 people in the UK on blood cancer Active Monitoring, representing 16% of people with this disease.

The APPG Blood Cancer understands that being on an Active Monitoring care plan can present challenges to patients, including navigating the health system while care is shared between primary and secondary providers. The APPG also understand challenges arise in finding support for the significant emotional and psychological impact on patients of receiving a cancer diagnosis but not immediately being treated.

We are therefore conducting this inquiry with a view to assessing whether provision for blood cancer patients on active monitoring is consistent and adequate across the UK to fully meet patient need, and whether there is scope for improvement.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding the work of the APPG, please contact the Secretariat at bloodcancerAPPG@mandfhealth.com.