HealthSHIFT: Early Intervention - intro
Connecting cancer, diagnostics and genomics to transform how the NHS predicts, diagnoses and treats disease
HealthSHIFT brings together three complementary HSJ forums exploring how the NHS can deliver earlier diagnosis, more personalised care and sustainable service transformation. Bringing together leaders from across policy, commissioning, clinical practice, diagnostics and innovation, HealthSHIFT connects the people responsible for turning national ambition into practical change.
The initiative comprises three specialist forums:
- HSJ Cancer Forum: Uniting cancer and system leaders to turn the National Cancer Plan into local delivery, with a focus on capacity, workforce, earlier diagnosis, neighbourhood care, personalised treatment and pathway transformation.
- HSJ Modernising Diagnostics Forum: Bringing diagnostics leaders together to improve productivity and capacity across imaging, pathology and wider diagnostic services, while accelerating neighbourhood diagnostics, digital transformation and AI.
- HSJ Genomics Forum: Exploring how genomics can improve population health, earlier diagnosis and personalised care, and what is needed to embed genomic approaches into routine NHS delivery.
Together, the forums connect the journey from risk identification and diagnosis through to treatment and personalised care, creating opportunities to share learning across increasingly interconnected services.
Overall themes across HealthSHIFT
- Earlier diagnosis, prevention and population health
- Capacity, productivity and workforce
- Neighbourhood and community-based care
- Digital transformation, data and AI
- Genomics and personalised care
- Commissioning, implementation and scaling innovation
- Equitable access, outcomes and patient experience
Why now?
Cancer, diagnostics and genomics are becoming increasingly interconnected. As the NHS moves from strategy to delivery, HealthSHIFT brings: Early Intervention these communities together to tackle the practical questions that sit between them - how to diagnose earlier, use capacity better, personalise care and turn innovation into sustainable, equitable NHS services.