Alfie Bailey-BearfieldSector leader

Biography

Alfie Bailey-Bearfield is Head of Policy and Influencing at Pancreatic Cancer UK, a charity based in London that campaigns for better research, earlier diagnosis, and improved support for people affected by pancreatic cancer. He also serves as Chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, a coalition of six charities focused on brain, liver, lung, oesophageal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers — all with a five-year survival rate of less than 20%. His background spans health and social care policy in both government and the voluntary sector, having previously served as Autism Policy Lead at the Department of Health and Social Care and as Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the National Autistic Society; he has also worked at the Alzheimer's Society and MS Society. He was formerly Chair of the Care and Support Alliance, an alliance of over 75 charities that campaigned for social care reform. He is publicly known for arguing that late diagnosis costs lives in less survivable cancers and that the UK Government must invest in research, innovative detection tests, and equitable access to treatment.

References

1. 1.Early diagnosis of less survivable cancers could save 7,500 lives annually – Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce — Confirms Alfie Bailey-Bearfield's role as Chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce and his public advocacy on early diagnosis (June 2025)
2. 2.Alfie Bailey-Bearfield – Centre for Science and Policy, University of Cambridge — Establishes his role at Pancreatic Cancer UK, prior roles at DHSC and National Autistic Society, background at Alzheimer's Society and MS Society, and former chairship of the Care and Support Alliance
3. 3.Introducing The Big Picture – Pancreatic Cancer UK — Most recent sourced job title: Head of Policy and Influencing at Pancreatic Cancer UK (May 2026)
4. 4.NHS launches new drive to find more people with deadly pancreatic cancer – Whitehaven News — Press quote as 'head of influencing and health improvement at Pancreatic Cancer UK' on NHS England pancreatic cancer case-finding pilot (June 2025)

Expertise

Cited on

• Hospital discharge / bed-blocking

Stated areas of expertise

• Cancer early diagnosis policy
• Less survivable cancers advocacy
• Health improvement and influencing
• Social care reform
• Cancer research funding
• Patient access and equity

Notable achievements

• Quoted as Chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce in the LSCT's June 2025 report calling for earlier diagnosis that could save 7,500 lives annually, published on the LSCT's own website. Source ↗
• Previously chaired the Care and Support Alliance — an alliance of over 75 charities — which helped deliver increased short-term Government investment in the social care system. Source ↗
• Cited as helping shape NHS England's pancreatic cancer case-finding pilot targeting people aged over 60 with new-onset diabetes and recent unexplained weight loss, announced June 2025. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “Treatment delays were unacceptable. 'For people diagnosed with less survivable cancers – of the brain, liver, lung, oesophagus, pancreas and stomach – time is absolutely critical,' he said.”

  chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Three in four English hospitals failing to hit two cancer targets in league tables ↗

Source references

1. Three in four English hospitals failing to hit two cancer targets in league tablestheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/contact-us/
• Websitehttps://lesssurvivablecancers.org.ukpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.