Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of providing financial support to (a) cancer patients under the age of 26 and (b) their families when travel is required from Northern Ireland to England for treatment.

Support for patients required to travel from Northern Ireland to Great Britain for medical treatment is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Health. However, this Government wants to work with the Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly, and local leaders to support them in delivering better health outcomes.

Patients in Northern Ireland pay for their own travel to appointments unless they are eligible for the Department of Health’s Hospital Travel Costs Scheme which is for people on a low income, including travel to the rest of the UK for treatment.