Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of the most life-threatening diseases in young people, particularly brain tumours, meningitis and sepsis.

We welcome HeadSmart’s campaign to raise awareness of symptoms that could indicate brain cancer in children and young people, which is promoted with NHS England and health professionals.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), in partnership with the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement, is working to improve vaccination coverage for children of all ages in England. This includes access to immunisation programmes, such as meningitis; promoting communications with the public; using data to identify underserved individuals and populations; and training for healthcare professionals.

We continue to raise awareness of sepsis amongst parents, including through the UKHSA’s partnership with Mumsnet and their Start4Life campaign which delivers trusted advice and practical guidance to parents on identifying sepsis and how to access appropriate and timely medical care.