Guest Blog: Transforming outcomes for people with a cancer diagnosis

Written by: Helen Ross, Sustainability Manager – Active Together South Yorkshire

On 3 July 2025, the South Yorkshire Innovation Hub team were invited to the launch of The White Rose Cancer Report, where  Active Together, a Sheffield Hallam University service funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and delivered in partnership with the NHS and local leisure providers showcased how it empowers cancer patients.

What is Active Together?

Active Together provides prehabilitation and rehabilitation for newly diagnosed cancer patients across South Yorkshire. To date, The service has supported over 3200 patients, improving fitness and quality of life, with gross healthcare savings in the region of £1000 per patient¹.  Importantly, the service reaches the most disadvantaged patients, and a recent evaluation observed higher one-year survival rates among participants compared to non-participants.

The programme is evidence-based, combining physical activity, nutrition and psychological support to prepare patients for treatment, reduce side effects and aid recovery.

Evidence shows that prehabilitation and rehabilitation reduces hospital stays, improve long-term health outcomes and help patients return to work and daily life. It can also reduce the likelihood of cancer recurrence and improve long term co-morbid conditions including heart disease and type II diabetes with corresponding long term financial savings for the NHS.

The evidence supporting prehabilitation and rehabilitation in cancer care is strong, and Active Together is now well integrated into standard cancer care pathways in South Yorkshire. Service users and clinicians have fed back:

“Taking part in Active Together created in me a new philosophical attitude. The exercise not only made me feel fit, but also made me feel like I was in control of my own destiny.”

Active Together cancer patient

“One patient was initially declined for thoracic surgery based on fitness and lung function. He was then accepted after a period of prehab with Active Together”.

Surgeon, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Why do we need to act now?

Lord Darzi’s 2024 review of the NHS in England reported worsening cancer waiting times and higher UK cancer mortality compared with other countries. Darzi also highlighted the rapid rise in long‑term conditions, calling for expanded community services and emphasising that prevention must remain a central priority.

The new Fit for the Future: 10‑Year Health Plan for England builds on these recommendations by shifting the system toward prevention and community‑based support to create a sustainable NHS. We believe Active Together reflects these priorities. As a model for community care, it can deliver strategic benefits across South Yorkshire – supporting patients, staff, and strengthening local healthcare systems.

Active Together is “Showing Up” for cancer.

Active Together prehabilitation and rehabilitation features in the SYB Cancer Alliance strategy and Shows Up campaign – a partnership strategy and social movement uniting health and public services, communities, employers, education, and individuals to improve cancer outcomes.  Here Active Together aligns with Bold Ambition Two, supporting cancer prevention.

What’s next?

Active Together is one of the first region-wide services in South Yorkshire. Its successful collaboration between NHS services, Yorkshire Cancer Research, and Sheffield Hallam University is both innovative and pioneering. This partnership model has already influenced the rollout of similar Active Together services across Yorkshire, with programmes now established in Airedale, Mid Yorkshire, Harrogate, and Hull.

Notably, Active Together prehabilitation and rehabilitation has also been recognised in the new National Cancer Plan for England as an exemplar service.  To ensure continued delivery, securing long-term funding is now more important than ever.  Looking ahead to the next financial year, we are delighted that the SYICB have committed a contribution to the cost of the service, and we hope that this will be extended beyond April 2027.

In the meantime, we continue to work collaboratively with Yorkshire Cancer Research, Sheffield Hallam University, NHS trusts, SYICB, the SYB Cancer Alliance, and local leisure providers to safeguard the services long‑term future.

Active Together represents an innovative, collaborative, multi-modal service that demonstrates positive healthy and economic outcomes and we will continue to ensure a commitment for future funding to deliver a healthier South Yorkshire where fewer lives are lost.

Read more about Active Together and access the Active Evaluation report

For more information please contact helen.ross@shu.ac.uk

References

¹Sheffield Hallam University (2024).  Active Together Evaluation Report. Available at:  https://www.shu.ac.uk/advanced-wellbeing-research-centre/projects/active-together