The government has announced a new National Cancer Board to drive improvements in cancer care.

It is hoped patients will benefit from stronger national leadership to improve diagnosis, treatment and care.

The board will scrutinise progress against more than 100 commitments in the National Cancer Plan, including early diagnosis, treatment and quality of life. They will identify which areas are falling behind and advise ministers on where further action is needed.

The board will include dedicated expert leads for rare cancers, including brain tumours, children and young people with cancer, and inequalities in cancer care.

Independent co-chair Anita Charlesworth will lead the board alongside Mark Cubbon, from NHS England and Department of Health and Social Care. Other members of the board include Dr Rob Metcalf, clinical lead for rare cancers; Dr Dianne Addei, lead for inequalities; and Ashley Ball-Gamble, lead for children and young people’s cancers.

The board will meet every quarter and will publish an annual assessment of progress. A more detailed review will be published after three years to identify where the plan needs to be strengthened or refreshed.

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Most families are affected by cancer at some point in our lives. That is why our National Cancer Plan is so important to provide earlier diagnosis, more advanced treatment and improve outcomes for everyone affected by cancer.

"The newly established, independent National Cancer Board will help scrutinise our progress, identify the areas that need most attention, and ensure the voice of cancer patients is constantly heard.

"I look forward to working with Anita Charlesworth and her team to deliver the change that every person in our country wants to see, and from which millions of our loved ones will benefit in the years to come."

Anita Charlesworth, independent co-chair of the National Cancer Board, said: "Half of us will be diagnosed with cancer during our lives, so this matters profoundly to patients and families right across the country.

"The National Cancer Plan is rightly ambitious, and this Board will maintain a relentless focus on earlier diagnosis and making sure innovation reaches every patient, no matter who they are or where they live.

"I look forward to working with my fellow members to ensure the National Cancer Board is a force for progress."