Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with young people with cancer supported by Teenage Cancer Trust ahead of the publication of the National Cancer Plan.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to ensuring the unique needs of young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, due for publication in the coming weeks. Since its launch on 4 February 2025, the Children and Young People (CYP) Cancer Taskforce has been working to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with cancer. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement across detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience.

The Government is committed to including the voices of young cancer patients in the work of the taskforce and the National Cancer Plan. That’s why the Government assembled a Patient Experience Panel, made up of young people with lived experience of cancer and their families, which will feed directly into the work of the taskforce.

The Government is also aware of the unique challenges that teenagers with cancer face, often falling in between paediatric and adult care. The CYP Cancer Taskforce has a dedicated charity sub-group which has engaged with the Teenage Cancer Trust, alongside other charitable groups, to ensure these challenges are addressed in the National Cancer Plan. I would like to thank the Teenage Cancer Trust, other charities, and the CYP Cancer Taskforce for their valuable input into the plan.