Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of support available to people with brain tumours through health and social care services.

The Department recognises the significant impact that rare cancers, such as brain tumours, can have on people. The Department is committed to improving people’s experience with brain tumours across the system, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.

NHS England aims to empower individuals with choice and control over their health and care through personalised care, focusing on promoting independence, good health, and well-being.

Where appropriate, every person diagnosed with cancer will have access to personalised care, including needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. This includes provision of information, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. Personalised care ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health as well as any practical or financial concerns, with support increasingly delivered through neighbourhood services and accessible digitally through the NHS App.

In addition, the recently published National Cancer Plan aims to redesign cancer services around people’s lives, not just around hospitals, recognising that more people are living for longer with and beyond cancer and need ongoing, coordinated support. The Department will ensure patients have a named neighbourhood lead to help coordinate their care locally, working alongside hospital specialists to provide continuity, reduce fragmentation, and make it easier for people to navigate services.

The plan also recognises that living well with cancer goes beyond healthcare alone. The Department will work with employers, charities, community services, and other partners to help people stay in work, maintain independence, and access trusted advice and support from the point of diagnosis.