Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will create a National Brain Tumour Strategy.

The Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients. The National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan, will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with rarer and less common cancers such as brain tumours.

Additionally, in September 2024, the National Institute for Health Research announced a new package of support to stimulate high quality brain tumour research applications, as part of the Government’s commitment to developing new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.

A new national Brain Tumour Research Consortium was established in December 2024 to bring together researchers from a range of different disciplines and institutions with the aim of driving scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat cancers in adults and children.

In addition to speeding up diagnosis and treatment, the work being undertaken by the consortium aims to ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and to clinical trials. This will make a significant contribution to driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.