Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that a variety of treatments are available for children with cancer.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits to improve the outcomes and experience of children, teenagers and young adults with cancer. These include implementing networked care; simplifying pathways and transitions between service; ensuring that every patient has access to specialist care; and increasing participation in clinical research.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have published a service specification setting out the functions and requirements of principal treatment centres and the Children’s Cancer Operational Delivery Networks. This will enable services to improve and widen access to psychological support, clinical trials and tumour banking. The National Health Service now offers all children and young people with cancer whole genome sequencing to allow more comprehensive and precise diagnosis and access to personalised treatments.