Mandate standardised cancer training for all GPs in England

We ask the Government to mandate cancer training for all GPs in England, requiring all GPs to complete mandatory, standardised training on cancer red-flag symptoms, with formal assessment, regular revalidation, NHS England regulation, and GMC linkage to improve early diagnosis.

Early cancer diagnosis saves lives, yet delays in primary care remain. There is no mandatory, standardised training for GPs on cancer red-flag symptoms or reassessment. We call for nationally mandated, assessed, and regularly updated training to improve recognition, reduce delays, and improve patient outcomes, especially for children and young people.

Alongside the relevant bodies which set the standards and training curricula that doctors must follow, the Government is taking action to improve early diagnosis through the National Cancer Plan for England and the introduction of Jess’s Rule. While the requests of the petitioners sit outside the direct remit of Government, we are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with cancer of all ages.

The National Cancer Plan for England, published earlier this year, sets out a comprehensive ten-year strategy to transform cancer outcomes across the country. It focuses on earlier diagnosis, faster treatment, better survival rates, and reducing inequalities in cancer care, with a firmly patient-centred approach.

The Government’s central ambition is that by 2035, three in four people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer-free or living well five years after diagnosis – up from roughly 60 per cent today. Achieving this would save hundreds of thousands of lives and make England a world leader in cancer survival. Improving outcomes in primary care will play a key role in this.

Through initiatives in the National Cancer Plan, primary care teams will be equipped to spot signs that could indicate cancer. The Plan commits to continued support for the Gateway C digital training platform. A new generation of digital support tools will help flag concerning symptoms or test results in general practice. In addition, from 2026 we will pilot an incentive encouraging the use of electronic safety netting to increase the number of people who complete checks for bowel cancer.

In September 2025, we introduced Jess’s Rule in memory of Jess Brady, who passed away due to cancer in December 2020.

Jess’s Rule (three strikes and we rethink) encourages GP teams to re-evaluate why the patient’s condition remains unresolved and/or consider why their symptoms are escalating. It promotes consistency of care but also prompts GP teams to consult with one another to jointly reconsider any red flags that have been missed that could point to another diagnosis, and to challenge any assumptions that may have been made based on a patient’s age or demographic.

As a part of the implementation of Jess’s Rule, the Royal College of General Practitioners, along with the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust, developed a learning module to support earlier cancer diagnosis in young adults. The Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust have also produced a training video on Jess’s Rule to support the delivery and implementation of the rule.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is the regulator of all medical doctors, physician assistants (PAs) and physician assistants in anaesthesia (PAAs) (still legally known as anaesthesia associates and physician associates) practising in the UK. It sets and enforces the standards all doctors, PAs and PAAs must adhere to. The GMC is independent of Government, directly accountable to Parliament, and is responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties.

From the academic year 2024-25, the GMC introduced the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA), which creates a framework for testing the core knowledge, skills, and behaviours of doctors who want to practise in the UK. An updated MLA comes into force for medical students from September 2026. The GMC does not deliver, design, or commission education and training. Each medical college sets its own undergraduate curriculum.

The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee GPs is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council. The RCGP provides a number of resources on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care for GPs, relevant for the primary care setting.

All UK-registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the GMC’s Good Medical Practice. In 2012, the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, giving patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice and promoting improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.

Qualified GPs are subject to these revalidation requirements overseen by the GMC with the process led by the RCGP; continuous professional development is a cornerstone of demonstrating suitability to continue to practice safely. For GPs, the RCGP advises that learning stretches across the GP curriculum over the five-year cycle, informed by a wide variety of sources and kept up to date as part of normal professional practice.

GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up to date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

Department of Health and Social Care