Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve access to clinical trials for brain cancer treatments.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with brain cancers, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

The Department is supporting the delivery of brain cancer clinical trials through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) that funds research and research infrastructure to support patients and the public to participate in high-quality research.

In January 2026, the NIHR announced a total investment of over £25 million in the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium to accelerate research into new brain tumour treatments across the United Kingdom. The consortium will develop and enhance innovative clinical trials.

As set out in our National Cancer Plan, the Government will implement the Rare Cancers Act 2026 to make it easier for clinical trials on brain cancer to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.

Additionally, NIHR provides an online service called Be Part of Research which promotes participation in health and care research, by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest.