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Last reviewed: 19 June 2024

Your guide to the GP Contract 24/25

Evidence-based information to support GPs and PCNs in England to deliver best practice in prevention and early diagnosis of cancer.

Last reviewed: 19 June 2024


Supporting GP practices and PCNs

GPs play a pivotal role in diagnosing cancer earlier and supporting the NHS Long-Term Plan ambition to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028. The aim of this information is to support GP practices and PCNs in England to deliver on their GP contract requirements for the early diagnosis of cancer and tackling neighbourhood health inequalities. 

These GP contract pages have been developed with our team of Cancer Research UK GPs. Our GPs are all practising and are involved in strategic work across their respective Cancer Alliances. For more information on the cancer-specific recommendations and resources to support with these requirements, visit our service specification on early cancer diagnosis page.

Delivering the PCN service

Dr Peter Holloway sits, smiling, in an office.

Cancer Research UK has a wealth of expertise and experience in promoting early diagnosis and primary care engagement, so is ideally placed to help PCNs deliver their cancer agenda.

- Dr Pete Holloway, Cancer Research UK GP

About the PCN service specifications

The 2024/25 DES contract notes that PCNs now have four core objectives:  

  1. Co-ordinate, organise and deploy shared resources to support and improve resilience and care delivery at both PCN and practice level;  

  2. Improve health outcomes for its patients through effective population health management and reducing health inequalities;  

  3. Target resource and efforts in the most effective way to meet patient need, which includes delivering proactive care; and  

  4. Collaborate with non-GP providers to provide better care, as part of an integrated neighbourhood team.  

What are the cancer-specific PCN service specifications? 

  • Improving referral practices  

  • Improving early diagnosis with a specific focus on screening uptake 

  • Reducing health inequalities 

The role of primary care in cancer diagnosis and reducing inequalities

Early diagnosis of cancer

Primary care has a vital role to play in system-wide improvement efforts to increase the proportion of cancers diagnosed early. The Early Cancer Diagnosis service requirements for PCNs seek to improve referral practice, screening uptake through network level activity, adopt and embed Faecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) and Teledermatology, and review and use non-specific symptom cancer pathways.

Reducing health inequalities

Although health inequalities are largely driven by factors outside of the healthcare system, actions taken within the healthcare system can impact health inequalities. It’s important to note that some actions, such as untargeted health awareness campaigns, can widen health inequalities, so measuring the impact of interventions on health inequalities is crucial. 

Health Inequalities impact every part of the cancer pathway including prevalence of cancer risk factors, screening uptake, stage of disease at diagnosis, and access to and experience of treatment. They also contribute to stark differences in incidence and outcomes. Primary care has an important role in taking action to identify and address health inequalities. Whilst the Tackling Neighbourhood Health Inequalities specification is not cancer specific, there are elements within it that can be applied to cancer if a PCN chooses to do so. We would particularly highlight cancer prevention and cancer screening as areas where action could have a significant impact. 

Top tips from Dr Debbie Harvey, CRUK GP

  • Make sure you check what is taking place (or being planned) locally before you embark on your own planning and actions, so you don’t reinvent the wheel.
  • There may be specific cancer working groups which bring together relevant stakeholders that you could tap into. 
  • Make sure you link in with your Cancer Alliance and public health teams who will likely have local plans and resources to support you. 
  • Your area may already have a CRUK GP or other GP cancer lead who will be aware of specific work around cancer which might support you and avoid unnecessary effort and duplication. 
  • Look at CRUK’s recommended key resources and find further support on our 'Delivering the PCN DES service specification' page.

Key resources

There are a variety of resources that can help GPs and clinical roles deliver the cancer priorities in the primary care service specification 2024/25. Some resources CRUK think might be helpful are: 

Find out more


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