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 help improve access to pancreatic specialists in children’s healthcare.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it. A range of measures across National Health Service systems support this goal.

NHS England commissions specialist paediatric gastroenterology services, which include the management of pancreatic conditions, through a network of designated regional centres. These centres are supported by clear referral pathways to ensure children can access specialist teams regardless of where they live.

National clinical guidelines, developed by the British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, help ensure consistent standards of diagnosis and care. NHS England continues to work with professional bodies, specialist centres, and commissioners to improve equity of access and ensure timely treatment for children with complex pancreatic conditions.

The Department continues to work with NHS England to support service planning, training, and commissioning for paediatric gastroenterology, to ensure children receive timely and appropriate care for pancreatic conditions.