Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve survival outcomes for children with sarcoma.

Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) are responsible for improving integration between children’s cancer services and improving the experience of care. The National Health Service is increasing participation in clinical trials, which is currently approximately two thirds of patients and tumour banking rates. It is improving the transition between children’s and teenager and young adult services, in particular ensuring that there is no age gap between different services and embedding genomic medicine within children’s cancer services.

In addition, sarcoma has been highlighted within the new specification as requiring a particular focus, relating to the development of clear access and referral arrangements and the agreement of treatment protocols in each ODN.