Brain Tumours in Children Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
Iain Stewart
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Brain Tumours in Children
Iain Stewart Excerpts(11 years, 3 months ago)
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Mr Raab
I will make a bit more progress, because otherwise the Minister will not have a chance to respond at length, which I know she will want to do.
The HeadSmart campaign has developed an online education module to help health professionals to recognise the signs and symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people. There is now a network of clinical champions in each of the neuro-oncology centres around the UK giving presentations to fellow health professionals on the subject. There is also, critically, a network of local champions. David’s mum, Sacha, who is also here for the debate, is the first of those.
HeadSmart awareness packs have been distributed to more than 1,000 doctors’ surgeries around the country, and more than 625,000 symptom cards have been distributed across the UK. Only one year after the launch of the HeadSmart campaign, the diagnosis delay has fallen from an average of 9.3 weeks in 2011 to 7.5 weeks in 2012. This year, it is down further to 6.9 weeks. That is terrific progress, and we should welcome it.