Thank you for contacting me about support for children and young people living with cancer.
I am very sorry to hear of families dealing with this issue. Please allow me to assure you that improving outcomes for patients diagnosed with this disease remains a key NHS priority.
Childhood cancers are thankfully extremely rare, accounting for 0.5 per cent of all cancers in the UK, with around one child in every 500 developing some form of cancer by the age of 14 years. My deepest sympathies go out to every family dealing with such a challenging situation.
Understanding the experience of children and young people with cancer is crucial for being able to improve their cancer treatment and care. I am pleased to see that the first Under-16 Cancer Patient Experience Survey was published by NHS England in October 2021, following the campaigning of charities like Young Lives vs Cancer and Teenage Cancer Trust.
I strongly encourage children with cancer and their families to take part in the next survey that will take place in 2022.
It is also positive that the Government is currently developing a new 10 Year Cancer Plan, which provides an important opportunity to consider how we can improve cancer services for children, young people and their families.
I
will continue to monitor this issue closely. Once again, thank you for taking
the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not
hesitate to get in touch.
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