Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to increase awareness of the symptoms of gliomas.

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.