Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York wants to "amplify the voices ... of people with cancer" who are "not being listened to"

Writing in The Times newspaper, Sarah explained: "It's incredibly important to me to seek to amplify the voices and experiences of people with cancer who receive less attention, whose voices are not listened to and who can be overlooked.

"One group consistently neglected by those developing health plans and policies is teenagers and young adults with cancer. The impact can be devastating."

Sarah - who was married to Prince Andrew, Duke of York from 1986 until 1996 - has been an honorary patron of Teenage Cancer Trust since 1990 .

She pointed out that "most cases of cancer occur in people over 50" and young people have been struggling in a system that "isn't designed" for them, but she hopes the #AndYoungPeople campaign will highlight their plight because she has seen firsthand how fundraising and campaigning has "revolutionised" care for young people while the growth of age-appropriate treatment has made a "significant difference to survival rates".

Sarah now wants the UK government to tackle issues facing young cancer patients when it sets out its National Cancer Plan for England - a report which aims to help improve cancer treatment.

She added: "The Trust's #AndYoungPeople campaign aims to help change that by ensuring the government tackles three key issues in the National Care Plan for England ...The first issue is the need for faster diagnosis ... The second thing that must improve is access to clinical trials ...

"The third area is access to mental health support."

Concluding, she explained: "It is our duty to help amplify their voices and ensure they are not overlooked.

"That is why I am supporting Teenage Cancer Trust's #AndYoungPeople campaign, why I have signed an open letter to Wes Streeting, calling for action, and why I urge you to do the same."