Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that policies on supporting young people affected by cancer are included in the Major Conditions Strategy.

The Department is taking steps to ensure that policies supporting young people affected by cancer are included in the Major Conditions Strategy, by looking at whole-person care, by reviewing all relevant evidence, and by engaging with key stakeholders.

The Major Conditions Strategy, announced on 24 January 2023, will set out a shift to integrated, whole-person care, building on measures already in place through the NHS Long Term Plan. This approach will use the best evidence for ways to tackle the major conditions that contribute to the burden of disease, including cancer for young people, in England.

The strategy will look at the treatment and prevention of cancer, covering the whole patient pathway. It will also look at a wide range of ways to improve outcomes and experiences for young people with cancer. This approach was published in the Major Conditions Strategy: Case for Change and Strategic Framework on 14 August 2023. The final Major Conditions Strategy report being developed will draw on all relevant evidence. This will include valuable submissions from young people’s cancer charities and stakeholders in response to Calls for Evidence, both on the 10-Year Cancer Plan and on the Major Conditions Strategy, when over 5,000 submissions were provided to the Department.

A key part of developing the strategy involves engagement with stakeholders, including with organisations representing young people affected by cancer, to ensure their views are considered in this important work.