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Olubukola Ayodele: How to Shift from Acute to Community?

Olubukola Ayodele/LinkedIn

Jul 6, 2025, 07:09

Olubukola Ayodele: How to Shift from Acute to Community?

Olubukola Ayodele, Consultant Medical Oncologist at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared a post on Linkedin:

“There’s been a lot of buzz since the Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched the new NHS 10-Year Health plan. The takes have been passionate and political but as a clinician, equity advocate and someone living the realities of the NHS daily, I want to focus on what matters most:

IMPACT.

The plan’s three core themes are clear:
– Shifting care from acute to community
– Moving from sickness to prevention
– Transitioning from analogue to digital

All of these have real consequences, positive or negative for cancer care.

Cancer care doesn’t start in the hospital. It starts in our communities, where awareness, trust and access must be built.

That shift from acute to community is essential but it must be done with adequate training, resources and culturally tailored support, or we risk widening the very gaps we aim to close.

On prevention, the message is clear: It means culturally appropriate education, upstream investment in public health, screening strategies that don’t leave out the under-served, and removing barriers to timely diagnosis. We need bold investment in early detection, targeted education, and data-driven risk stratification. And this must include those often left out; Black communities, the socioeconomically disadvantaged and the digitally excluded.

Which brings me to digital. I welcome innovation but let’s not pretend apps and AI are a panacea. The digital shift must work for people, not just systems. Tech should enhance care, not replace human connection, especially when trust in healthcare is still a work in progress for many.

But even with these promising directions, one thing is glaringly absent: We still do not have a National Cancer Plan.

Cancer doesn’t follow five-year cycles or political timelines. It continues to devastate families. Survival, quality of life and access to care still depend on where you live, how much you earn, or the colour of your skin.

We need a plan that is intentional about equity, with clear accountability on screening uptake, workforce sustainability, clinical trial inclusion, and patient outcomes.

We all have a role to play:

– As clinicians, we must speak up for our patients and press for equity in service design.
– As leaders, we must be visible, vocal and present at the tables where decisions are made.
– As communities, we must demand better and be supported to do so.
– And as individuals, we must refuse to settle for a system that works well only for some.

A fairer, smarter, more compassionate cancer care system is possible. But only if we commit to building it together.

What are your takes on the new NHS 10 year health plan? Share them in the comments below and let’s discuss.”

Olubukola Ayodele