In 2009 Macmillan Cancer Support commissioned brap to undertake the first phase of a project to develop and evaluate the practical application of a human rights framework for cancer services. The aim of the first phase of this work was to ‘test’ how human rights principles can be given practical expression in the context of service-user and staff experience in three cancer care settings (‘test sites’) – Bury NHS; Merseyside and Cheshire Cancer Network; and South East London Cancer Network. In doing this the intention was to examine how a human rights framework for equalities in cancer care can be developed and populated over time.