Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support for people with Central Neurocytoma in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as central neurocytoma. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the Framework and, in February, published the annual England Rare Diseases Action Plan.

Central neurocytoma is an example of a rare benign brain tumour. These types of brain tumours are managed through surgical intervention in most instances. Services for both adults and paediatric patients are commissioned and delivered through two national clinically developed service specifications. These are the NHS England Neurosurgery (Adults) specification, published in 2019, and the NHS England Paediatric Neurosurgery Services specification, published in 2013.

For patients living in the Surrey Heath constituency aged over one year old, the pathway of care for treatment is through the St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust service. Patients aged under one year old will be seen and treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital.