Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment have they made of the proportion of newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients who receive the full standard of care on the NHS.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with cancerous brain tumours, such as glioblastoma, and recognises the significant impact that this rare cancer can have on outcomes and experiences of care.
Several steps are being taken to improve outcomes for glioblastoma patients.
In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer. 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 bringing the United Kingdom’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
In February 2026, the Department published the National Cancer Plan for England which sets out how patients with rare cancers, including glioblastoma, will benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams which cover multiple healthcare providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and access to the best evidence-based care. To accelerate breakthroughs, the Government will explore innovative procurement methods, such as advance market commitments, to stimulate the development of new diagnostic tests, targeted therapies, and more effective treatments for rare cancers, such as brain tumours.
The Department recognises that cancer outcomes remain poorest in some deprived, rural, and coastal areas. To support improvement, the Government has provided £200 million of ring‑fenced funding for Cancer Alliances in 2026/27 to improve cancer pathway performance and reduce delays. The Department monitors progress through regular oversight with NHS England, tracking improvements in early diagnosis and treatment standards across regions. These measures underpin our commitment to reducing geographic disparities so that a patient’s chances of survival do not depend on where they live.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment have they made of the number of British glioblastoma patients who have sought alternative treatment overseas in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with cancerous brain tumours, such as glioblastoma, and recognises the significant impact that this rare cancer can have on outcomes and experiences of care.
Several steps are being taken to improve outcomes for glioblastoma patients.
In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer. 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 bringing the United Kingdom’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
In February 2026, the Department published the National Cancer Plan for England which sets out how patients with rare cancers, including glioblastoma, will benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams which cover multiple healthcare providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and access to the best evidence-based care. To accelerate breakthroughs, the Government will explore innovative procurement methods, such as advance market commitments, to stimulate the development of new diagnostic tests, targeted therapies, and more effective treatments for rare cancers, such as brain tumours.
The Department recognises that cancer outcomes remain poorest in some deprived, rural, and coastal areas. To support improvement, the Government has provided £200 million of ring‑fenced funding for Cancer Alliances in 2026/27 to improve cancer pathway performance and reduce delays. The Department monitors progress through regular oversight with NHS England, tracking improvements in early diagnosis and treatment standards across regions. These measures underpin our commitment to reducing geographic disparities so that a patient’s chances of survival do not depend on where they live.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans do they have to tackle geographical disparities when it comes to the treatment of glioblastoma.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that there are currently limited treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with cancerous brain tumours, such as glioblastoma, and recognises the significant impact that this rare cancer can have on outcomes and experiences of care.
Several steps are being taken to improve outcomes for glioblastoma patients.
In January 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) announced increased investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The world-leading consortium aims to transform outcomes for adults and children and their families who are living with brain tumours, ultimately reducing lives lost to cancer. 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 bringing the United Kingdom’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
In February 2026, the Department published the National Cancer Plan for England which sets out how patients with rare cancers, including glioblastoma, will benefit from a move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams which cover multiple healthcare providers. This will allow them to benefit from the input of specialist centres and access to the best evidence-based care. To accelerate breakthroughs, the Government will explore innovative procurement methods, such as advance market commitments, to stimulate the development of new diagnostic tests, targeted therapies, and more effective treatments for rare cancers, such as brain tumours.
The Department recognises that cancer outcomes remain poorest in some deprived, rural, and coastal areas. To support improvement, the Government has provided £200 million of ring‑fenced funding for Cancer Alliances in 2026/27 to improve cancer pathway performance and reduce delays. The Department monitors progress through regular oversight with NHS England, tracking improvements in early diagnosis and treatment standards across regions. These measures underpin our commitment to reducing geographic disparities so that a patient’s chances of survival do not depend on where they live.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, that the sector is appropriately reflected within wider emergency planning and resilience frameworks, including consideration within Civil Contingencies structures, to ensure uninterrupted delivery of critical care.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the vital work of air ambulance organisations in communities across the country. The Department is already engaging with air ambulance organisations on resilience issues and will continue to do so as part of our regular resilience planning.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, that the recognition of air ambulance services within NHS emergency services fuel access arrangements is safeguarded and maintained, ensuring priority access in line with other frontline emergency responders.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the vital work of air ambulance organisations in communities across the country. The Department is already engaging with air ambulance organisations on resilience issues and will continue to do so as part of our regular resilience planning.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, that air ambulance charities are formally included within national fuel resilience and prioritisation planning, including consideration alongside Category 1 responders.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the vital work of air ambulance organisations in communities across the country. The Department is already engaging with air ambulance organisations on resilience issues and will continue to do so as part of our regular resilience planning.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average life expectancy is for (a) newly diagnosed and (b) recurrent glioblastoma patients in the NHS over the last 10 years.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects diagnosis, treatment, and outcome data on cancer patients in England. The NDRS does not routinely publish statistics on life expectancy.
However, NHS England publishes survival data for all cancers, including brain cancer, which includes glioblastoma. Currently, glioblastoma is not included as a separate cancer group in our routine statistics.
The latest data shows one year survival after diagnosis is 41.7% and five‑year survival for brain cancer is 12.9%. The data can be found at the following link:
The Government recognises that glioblastoma is an aggressive and fast‑growing form of brain cancer with poor outcomes and is committed to improving outcomes and investing in research for brain cancers, including glioblastoma. The National Cancer Plan includes a strong focus on rarer and less common cancers, such as brain tumours, to drive earlier diagnosis, improved care, and better survival.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what new personalised treatments for glioblastoma are being assessed.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for assessing new medicines to ensure they meet the required standards of quality, safety, and efficacy before they can be authorised for use in the United Kingdom. The MHRA conducts a rigorous, evidence‑based scientific review of all applications for marketing authorisation and assesses them against statutory timelines. Northwest Biotherapeutics has submitted a marketing authorisation application to the MHRA for DCVax®-L, an immunotherapy for glioblastoma. The MHRA cannot comment on individual applications while they are under assessment but is committed to enabling safe and effective new treatments to reach patients as quickly as possible once the necessary standards are met.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims wherever possible to issue recommendations on new medicines close to the time of licensing. NICE is in discussions with the manufacturer of DCVax-L, Northwest Biotherapeutics, about a potential appraisal subject to licensing.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS professionals are aware of personalised cancer vaccines.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform set up to accelerate the development of cancer vaccines and speed up access to mRNA personalised cancer vaccine clinical trials for cancer patients. The CVLP has been instrumental in accelerating trial activity in cancer research, with CVLP sites driving faster activation and enrolment timelines.
The CVLP provides an extended network of referral sites to broaden trial access and to identify eligible patients through genetic analysis, working with the Vaccine Innovation Pathway to optimise patient recruitment. This means that patients can be recruited from across parts of the country and means that the United Kingdom was the fastest recruiting country for the first international trial of personalised vaccination after surgery for colorectal cancer.
As the CVLP continues its phased scale-up across the country, professional awareness is being driven by the expansion of participating trial sites and use of the referral network.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms his department uses to ensure integrated care boards commission children’s palliative care services effectively and in accordance with national quality standards.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member for Leicester South and the Rt. Hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.
We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.