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 provide patient transport to specialist treatment centres for young cancer patients living in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes and patient experience for children and young people with cancer, and we are aware that the cost of travel is an important issue for many cancer patients and their families, including those living in the Surrey Health constituency.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are currently responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service runs schemes in England to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostic tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services.

Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or a Personal Independence Payment. The provision of disability benefits is also the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.

On 4 February 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce. The taskforce will explore a range of issues, including patient experience, in order to identify improvements for this patient group.