UCL academic Chairs independent cancer services panel

Dame Jane Dacre - Professor Dame Jane Dacre (UCL Medical School) is leading an independent Parliamentary review evaluating the UK Government's commitments to improve the delivery of cancer services in England. Set up by the cross-party Health and Social Care Committee, Dame Jane has been Chair of the politically impartial Expert Panel since August 2020, with the aim of assessing government pledges in different areas of healthcare policy. The panel gives Care Quality Commission-style ratings on the government's performance in meeting policy commitments, grading them from "inadequate" to "outstanding". The independent and objective evaluation is designed to enhance the select committee's core task of holding the government and ministers to account. For the latest evaluation, five specialists from different areas of cancer services have been appointed, bringing their subject specific expertise and experience. The specialist members have been working alongside the core members of the Expert Panel to identify a set of government commitments made in cancer services and evaluate the UK Government's progress against them. The panel has issued an open call for written submissions specifically addressing the question of the extent to which the chosen targets have been met.