Mrs Sharon Hodgson
MP for Washington and Gateshead South · Labour · United Kingdom
“T5. I visited Newcastle Crown court before the summer recess, where I learned that the backlog of cases had reached an unprecedented high. As we have heard, measures such as the blitz courts in Teesside, which were mentioned earlier, and specialist sexual offences and domestic abuse courts can help with this backlog.”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker; I will be very brief. Next Thursday is World Patient Safety Day. As the landmark Cumberlege review confirmed, patients—particularly women—have had their concerns dismissed and denied for far too long.”
“It would ensure that that support is actually accountable to Parliament, with an annual mandatory report highlighting the services that have been provided and the outcomes that they have achieved.”
“Getting this right matters because when we do not, children suffer. Research shows that 10% to 25% of children experience disorganised attachment with their main caregiver, putting them at greater risk of poor social, emotional and educational outcomes.”
“Parents are expected to know just by instinct how to fulfil this role, and that is where we have gone wrong. If we want a healthy and happy society, we need our children to be thriving and therefore our parents and carers to be supported from the very start.”
“If we instead focus on building conditions that allow parents, carers and babies to thrive, we allow children to thrive from the beginning, rather than waiting to intervene when they struggle later down the line. Babies should not be an afterthought.”
The complete record
Every one of 602 lines we hold for Mrs Sharon Hodgson, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 13.
“As part of a major transformation of the NHS under the 10-year health plan, patients with MSK conditions, such as osteoporosis, will also soon be able to bypass their GPs and directly access community services, including physiotherapy, pain management and orthopaedics, in the NHS app. The landmark change will deliver faster treatment for the flare-up of existing conditions, while enabling GPs to focus on more complex cases, reducing pressure on hospitals and freeing up GP practices. As we have heard, osteoporosis affects around one in three women, compared with one in five men. We know that women are at greater risk of osteoporosis due to the decrease in oestrogen production at the menopause, which accelerates bone loss. Since 2022, two new drugs have been recommended by NICE for the treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.”
“However, we need to be honest about the scale of the action needed, the challenges faced across the health and care system, and that change will not be possible overnight. Musculoskeletal community services have the longest waiting lists of all adult community services in England. We know that patients, including those with osteoporosis, are waiting too long for care and treatment, and that needs to change. To support people with MSK conditions, such as osteoporosis, to access services when they need them, we are delivering the “Getting it right first time” MSK community delivery programme, which is working to transform MSK community services, reduce MSK community waiting times, improve data and metrics, and implement referral pathways to wider support services.”
“Fracture liaison services can play a vital role in reducing the risk of refracture, improving quality of life and increasing years lived in good health, which is what we all want to see. The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services that help prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. We are committed to rolling out fracture liaison services to every part of the country by 2030. Integrated care boards remain well placed to make decisions according to local need. The renewed women’s health strategy published last week sets an expectation that ICBs prioritise community-based models when commissioning new fracture prevention services.”
“It must have been another body—I am giving her jobs that she has never had. That e-module is designed to support the early diagnosis of osteoporosis by highlighting which groups are at higher risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. Progress is being made on increasing early diagnosis and management of osteoporosis. Last year, more than 16,000 extra bone density—or DEXA—scans were delivered compared with the previous year, but we recognise there is still much more we can do. That is why on 1 March, the Government announced funding for 20 new DEXA scanners across England, supported by £2.4 million of investment. Tens of thousands of patients will benefit from faster access to bone scans as a result, and it will help ensure that people with bone conditions, such as osteoporosis, get diagnosed earlier.”
“That is why, through NIHR and NHS England, the Government are investing over £9 million in clinical trials of cannabis-based medicines for drug-resistant epilepsy, to strengthen the evidence and support consistent, safe decision making. We know that around 30% of people with epilepsy have a learning disability, as my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield (Dave Robertson) set out, and that the risk of SUDEP is higher for those with a learning disability. The most recent “learning from lives and deaths” report found that epilepsy was one of the most common underlying causes of death for people with a learning disability between 2021 and 2023. That highlights how crucial it is that information and support for patients with epilepsy who have a learning disability is tailored to their individual needs.”
“I fully understand why patients and families continue to press for safe and equitable access to medical cannabis, particularly for children with drug-resistant epilepsy. There is one licensed cannabis-based medicine, Epidyolex, that is available for prescribing on the NHS, where clinically appropriate, following clear evidence of its safety and clinical and cost-effectiveness. Most cannabis-based medicines that patients are seeking are unlicensed and have not been assessed for their safety, quality or effectiveness. Until the evidence base improves, the NHS will not routinely fund them, and clinicians will rightly be cautious about prescribing.”
“Between February 2025 and February 2026, the number of incomplete neurology pathways reduced by over 10,000, the average waiting time reduced from 16.5 weeks to 15 weeks, and the proportion of patients seen within 18 weeks increased to 57.9%. We will continue to work with the NHS to improve access and reduce delays for patients, including those with epilepsy, and families. Research is central to improving outcomes for people with epilepsy. The Department funds research into epilepsy through the National Institute for Health and Care Research—the NIHR—and, in the five years from April 2020 to March 2025, we committed almost £19 million to 15 epilepsy research projects. The NIHR welcomes applications on all topics, including epilepsy.”
“For patients with epilepsy, timely access to specialist advice, supported by clear referral routes and co-ordinated care across primary care, community services and hospitals, is critical to good outcomes. Nationally, NHS England’s neurology transformation programme developed a model of integrated care to support integrated care boards in delivering the right service at the right time to patients, as close to home as possible. For those with refractory epilepsy who need highly specialised input, NHS England’s updated service specification for specialised adult neurology services is clear that specialised neurology centres must include services for the assessment and management of refractory epilepsy. Progress is being made on the treatment backlog.”
“That is why, when it comes to epilepsy, we are working with the NHS and partners to embed structured risk assessments and consistent risk communication in routine practice, so that known risk factors are identified early, addressed where possible, and discussed openly with patients and families, in line with best practice. Cutting waiting lists, including for neurology services, is a key priority for this Government. We have committed to achieving the NHS constitutional standard, which is that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029. We have already delivered 5.2 million additional elective appointments in our first year in government. Waiting lists overall are coming down, but we recognise that they remain too high, with neurology remaining a particularly challenged specialty.”
“I will set out the actions that we are taking with the NHS and partners to reduce risks as well as improve outcomes for people living with epilepsy. First, there is a statutory duty for organisations to respond to a prevention of future deaths report issued by a coroner when their investigation identifies circumstances that create a risk of future deaths. That provides a clear mechanism for organisations to set out the actions that they will take to address those risks. Alongside the PFD process, it is essential that the NHS continues to strengthen how it identifies and acts to mitigate risk in day-to-day epilepsy care.”
“I thank the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage (Olly Glover) for securing this important debate. At the outset, I will say that I am happy to meet him to discuss all the action points he raised at the end of his speech—and as for where that meeting will take place, we can discuss that. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP for short, is a vitally important issue for those directly and tragically affected, and for many Members. We must learn lessons when deaths occur and make the changes needed. We must also ensure timely access to the right specialist support for people with epilepsy. We must tackle long waits for neurology appointments, and continue to build the evidence base, so that innovative treatments, such as medicinal cannabis, where clinically appropriate, are available in a safe and consistent way.”
“We will continue to work with partners across the health system to support people with epilepsy and, ultimately, reduce deaths from epilepsy. Question put and agreed to .”
“In closing, I thank the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage for securing this very important debate; it is great to see it so well attended. I thank all hon. Members who took part in it and made interventions, including my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Peter Swallow), the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), and my hon. Friends the Members for Stroud (Dr Opher), for Lichfield, and for Southgate and Wood Green (Bambos Charalambous). They made a number of very important points, and if I need to follow up on any of them with colleagues in other Departments or in my Department, I definitely will. I also thank those with lived experience of epilepsy, and the families who have lost loved ones to SUDEP. Their courage in speaking out continues to drive change through the work that we do in this place.”
“The toolkit makes structured risk assessment and risk reduction, and proactive conversations about SUDEP, a core part of guidance, and it signposts practical resources, such as the SUDEP and seizure safety checklist, to support consistent risk communication in line with NICE guidance. Health Education England, which is now part of NHS England, has developed an epilepsy programme in collaboration with SUDEP Action. That includes evidence-based training modules, delivered through the NHS England e-learning for healthcare platform, covering practical diagnosis and management, medication adherence and SUDEP risk factors. Alongside that, Government-supported frameworks, including the national bundle of care for children and young people with epilepsy, are helping to drive more equitable access to timely intervention and rehabilitation.”
“They should have access to specialist care and co-ordinated, multidisciplinary support. NICE is clear that where young people are transitioning into adult services, planning should begin early. While NICE guidance is not mandatory, the Government expect commissioners and service providers to take it fully into account when making decisions on how best to meet the needs of their local communities. NHS England’s RightCare programme has developed an epilepsy toolkit to support commissioners and clinicians in improving epilepsy care and reducing preventable deaths.”
“I welcome the development of the Clive Treacey safety checklist. It is an important part of Clive’s legacy, notwithstanding the comments that my hon. Friend made about his legacy being much wider than that. We would encourage commissioners and service providers to use the checklist and its accompanying guidance as a key tool when designing services for their local populations, and to ensure that steps outlined in the checklist are followed whenever a patient experiences a significant change in their care. We hope that is being rolled out, followed and used. At the national level, there are a number of programmes and tools supporting safer, more consistent epilepsy care. NICE guidance recommends that people with a learning disability have monitoring reviews at least annually, and information should be tailored and adapted.”
“That will fulfil our desire to improve outcomes for all cancer patients, including neuroendocrine cancer patients. In closing, I once again thank my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West for securing this important debate. It looks like we are going to finish early after all, but I do not want anybody to think that that is through lack of interest in this important topic. It is Thursday, and Members have their constituencies to get back to, so I will not delay the House any further. I thank my hon. Friend for all the work he does on rare cancers. Question put and agreed to.”
“As set out in our 10-year health plan, we will make the UK a global leader in clinical research. Clinical research is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve healthcare. It helps us prevent, diagnose and treat cancer more effectively. Our vision is to embed research across the NHS, giving patients greater choice and control over their healthcare. To hold us accountable across these commitments and drive forward progress for rare cancer patients, we will appoint a national clinical lead for rare cancers, who will provide independent advice on improving outcomes. The actions I have listed make up just a small part of our plan, which will turn cancer from one of the biggest killers into a chronic condition that is treatable.”
“The NIHR supports research into neuroendocrine cancers, spanning research to better understand and diagnose them through to research to advance treatment options for patients. Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the NIHR has committed £3.5 million to new research projects, alongside supporting infrastructure, into neuroendocrine cancer. Activity is under way through the NIHR James Lind Alliance, in partnership with the UK and Ireland Neuroendocrine Tumour Society and Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, to identify priority research questions regarding neuroendocrine cancer care and treatment. That will ensure that future research focuses on the areas that matter most to patients, families and clinicians. Our research investments have the potential to shift the dial and position the UK as a leading location for cancer research.”
“Furthermore, we have invested £70 million in 28 new LINAC—linear accelerator—radiotherapy machines to replace older, less efficient machines. Those new machines will reduce waiting times, provide 15% more treatments and enable 27,500 more patients to be treated each year. Going forward, the NHS is also harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to support oncologists to plan radiotherapy more quickly and accurately, improving contouring, reducing the risk of damage to healthy tissue and minimising complications. We know that research and innovation are crucial to tackling cancer, which is why we remain committed to investing in cancer research. Cancer is a major area of National Institute for Health and Care Research spending, totalling £141.6 million in 2024-25, which reflects its high priority.”
“In addition to improving awareness of neuroendocrine cancers, we are targeting improvements to support diagnosis. The NHS in England has rolled out non-specific symptom pathways nationally, designed to speed up the diagnosis of cancer. Those pathways are intended to cover the cohort of patients who do not fit clearly into a single urgent cancer referral pathway but who are none the less at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. They benefit the detection of all cancers, including rarer cancers such as neuroendocrine cancers. As announced in the national cancer plan earlier this year, we are prioritising access to specialist treatment and multidisciplinary teams for all patients diagnosed with rare cancers, which will ensure that patients with neuroendocrine cancer and other rare cancers benefit from the best evidence-based care.”
“Cancer alliances across the country are also engaging with their local communities to deliver campaigns, community engagement and partnership activity to increase symptom knowledge and encourage people to come forward as soon as possible if they notice a change in their health. I want to be clear that I have never had a cancer diagnosis blamed on the menopause, but there are lots of other things I might have gone to my GP about that have been blamed on the menopause. I know that my hon. Friend has done work on ovarian cancer as well—he took over the hosting of an event on ovarian cancer from me when I was made a Minister—and the symptoms of ovarian cancer are constantly blamed on irritable bowel syndrome, constipation or a bad back. It happens with so many cancers, so he made a really important point.”
“We know that one of the most effective ways to improve survival from cancers, including neuroendocrine cancers, is to catch them early and treat them quickly. We know that raising awareness of symptoms is an essential part of that, which is why the NHS in England runs campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them. My hon. Friend mentioned the number of women who are told that it is menopause symptoms when they first present to their GPs. As a woman who has been in that position myself, I think he made a good point about how many different conditions are blamed on the menopause. The campaigns have focused on recognising a range of symptoms, as well as on encouraging general body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.”
“Furthermore, in the national cancer plan, we have committed to improving data on rare cancers to ensure transparency and to support the NHS to speed up diagnosis and treatment. To help cut cancer waiting times, we will give trusts and cancer alliances the detailed, practical information they need, from more granular data for individual cancer types to real-time pathway insights through the federated data platform. By streamlining cancer metrics, we will shine a much brighter light on unwarranted variation in care, so that issues cannot be hidden and action can be taken quickly. Rare and less common cancers, including neuroendocrine cancers, are a priority for this Government, and this is the first ever national cancer plan with a dedicated chapter on rare cancers.”
“As we have heard, neuroendocrine cancer is a rare type of cancer that can develop in various organs in the body, including the pancreas, lungs and intestines. The National Disease Registration Service collects patient data on cancer, congenital anomalies and rare diseases, and provides expert analysis to support clinical teams, academics, charities and policymakers to help plan and improve treatment and healthcare in England. The NDRS understands the need for statistics on neuroendocrine neoplasms and has worked with an expert working group to identify these cases in the cancer registry data. The working group has included clinical experts and charity engagement, and the first statistics on these groupings are expected to be published as part of Get Data Out in a few months.”
“Despite those vital signs of recovery, the NHS is still failing far too many cancer patients and their families. We know that improving outcomes for rare cancer patients is key to ensuring that we make the NHS fit for the future. In February, this Government published our much-lauded national cancer plan. We now have a blueprint to shift the dial on rare and challenging cancers, including neuroendocrine cancers, underpinned by three key targets. The first is to save 320,000 more lives by 2035, ensuring that three in four people diagnosed in 2035 will be cancer free or living well with cancer after five years. Secondly, we will achieve the three cancer performance targets by the end of March 2029. Finally, we will improve the quality of life for people with cancer.”
“During its parliamentary passage, it was described as “a Bill of hope”, and it does give hope to all those who face a diagnosis with a rare cancer, such as those with neuroendocrine cancer. As set out in our national cancer plan, we will implement the Rare Cancers Act to make it easier for rare cancer patients to be contacted about clinical trials. This Act will help accelerate the clinical trials needed to deliver the most effective, cutting-edge treatments and the highest-quality care for patients facing a rare cancer diagnosis. Since this Government took office, around 228,000 more people are getting a cancer diagnosis on time, around 40,000 more are starting treatment on time, and rates of early diagnosis are hitting record highs.”
“I start by thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur) for securing this important debate. I am not sure if he is aware, but we could actually go on until about 5.30 pm, so we have hours at our disposal if we want to continue this conversation for that long. We do not want to test your patience too much, Madam Deputy Speaker, but we do not have to be too speedy. We can cover this properly and in depth. I also must congratulate my hon. Friend on his huge achievement with the Rare Cancers Act 2026, which received Royal Assent, as he knows, on 5 March this year, with support from right across this House and in the other place. This Government are proud to have supported the Rare Cancers Act.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Embedding Healthy Babies services in a system that prioritises prevention is central to this Government’s ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. We are starting by investing £200 million to maintain Healthy Babies services in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation, and we will deliver the 10-year health plan ambition to roll out Healthy Babies nationally over the next 10 years.”
“Despite the huge success of Sure Start, which my hon. Friend details, the Tory-Lib Dem Government disastrously cut Sure Start centres, leaving parents and babies without any support. That is why this Government are investing £200 million as part of an almost £1 billion package for Best Start family hubs and Healthy Babies. This funding will help all areas to integrate neighbourhood-based health services in hubs, and it will roll out to his area during the next decade.”
“I thank the hon. Lady for her good wishes. She may be aware that on 19 January, the Secretary of State met Jesy Nelson and Giles Lomax, the CEO of the charity SMA UK, to discuss the very issue of newborn screening for SMA. The NHS is planning an in-service evaluation offering SMA screening to newborn babies in England. The ISE is being brought forward to October 2026—it was originally planned for January 2027—so there will be more information to follow in October.”
“We are backing cancer patients with a plan to end the postcode lottery that was baked in by the previous Tory Government due to chronic underfunding. We have already announced that more cancer specialists will be allocated to rural and coastal areas, increasing capacity where it is most needed. Over the past year, around 39,000 more people started their cancer treatment within 62 days, compared with the 12 months prior to the 2024 election.”
“Too many patients experience issues in accessing radiotherapy treatment, and I am sorry to hear about the experience of my hon. Friend’s constituent, John Kiely. We are determined to change that. After the previous Government’s chronic underfunding, this Government have invested £70 million of central funding on 28 new radiotherapy machines across the country to replace the older, less efficient machines. Providers have been allocated £15 billion in operational capital for local priorities and £5 billion to support a return to constitutional standards on waiting times. We expect local systems to use that capital to deliver further investment, and I encourage my hon. Friend to meet his local ICB to discuss this issue.”
“I commend my hon. Friend on her great work campaigning for her coastal community in East Thanet. The national cancer plan sets out how we will make sure that everyone has timely access to high-quality diagnostic and treatment services by increasing medical training places in rural and coastal areas. The national cancer plan will save 320,000 lives over the next decade and deliver the fastest improvement in cancer survival in UK history.”
“Patients are 30 times more likely to wait two years for care in Scotland than in England. Labour has ended austerity and provided Scotland with the biggest funding increase since devolution. The question is: where has the money gone?”
“The national cancer plan is a key part of our work to build an NHS fit for the future, and it explains how we will make England a world leader in cancer outcomes. The right hon. Gentleman’s constituents will now be able to see a GP much sooner than they could before the 2024 election, which will ensure that they can get that earlier diagnosis, which is the only thing that will help them to survive and live longer.”
“We are well aware that there are issues with the workforce across the NHS, which is why we are working on a new workforce plan that will be published in the spring—very soon.”
“I am very sorry to hear about Harley’s condition, and my thoughts are with him and his family. I am sure my hon. Friend understands that neither the Department nor NHS England can comment on the clinical appropriateness of suggested treatments for an individual. I understand that Harley and his family have already been in touch with the Department, and would suggest that my hon. Friend continues to raise this case with NHS England. We are committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including Harley’s condition of SCTS.”
“Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton), we now have a plan that includes a dedicated chapter on children and young people setting out how the Government will address their unique needs. We will begin to shift the dial on detecting, diagnosing and treating cancers in young people, and we will continue to listen to young people and their families, through our patient experience panel, to ensure that lived experience sits at the heart of everything we do.”
“Cancer remains a leading cause of death for young people under the age of fourteen. I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like for those children and young people, who have their whole life ahead of them, to hear the words, “You have cancer,” not to mention those mums and dads who go through the nightmare of seeing their child suffer. It is true that 78% of children with cancer aged between eight and 15 said they were “very well looked after” by the NHS, but I will not be satisfied until that number reaches 100%. There are so many areas where we must do better, particularly when it comes to patient experience. My hon. Friend laid out clearly in his opening remarks what some of those areas are, so I will go through them one at a time. Thanks to my excellent predecessor, my hon.”
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) for securing this very important debate, which, as we heard, is taking place during Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month. I thank him for his very important work on the all-party parliamentary group on cancer in children and young people, as well as for his role as a parliamentary champion for the Teenage Cancer Trust. I am grateful to him for the invitation he has just made for me to visit a Teenage Cancer Trust unit, which I would be very pleased to accept. I pay tribute to some of the fantastic charities that he and I have both worked with: Teenage Cancer Trust, Young Lives vs Cancer and Children with Cancer UK, to name just a few. They supported us to write the national cancer plan. Now that the plan is published, they will play a vital role in its delivery.”
“Awaab’s law will cut pollution and clean up the air that our children breathe. This year, I am determined to do everything I can for children and young people with cancer. I have my foot on the accelerator, and I look forward to working closely with my hon. Friend in the months ahead on this work. Question put and agreed to .”
“Friend the Member for Mansfield will play his part in that too. The Government believe that all children and young people, no matter their circumstances, deserve support to achieve the very best outcomes in life, but most importantly to live fulfilling and happy lives. Alongside our work on cancer, we are combating the drivers of ill health in children’s lives such as poor diet, damp homes, dirty air and a lack of opportunity. We have abolished the two-child benefit cap, taking half a million children out of destitution, shame and hunger. We have brought in free breakfast clubs and extended free school meals so that kids start school with hungry minds, not hungry bellies. We also introduced the soft drinks industry levy, a warm home discount scheme that reaches millions more, and a generational ban on smoking.”
“Friend the Member for Mansfield urged us to do, so that efforts are focused where they can make the greatest difference. We will break down the barriers that prevent young people from accessing clinical trials, particularly those who do not often qualify for paediatric or adult trials, by requiring clinical justifications for age limits, while also strengthening data collection across the cancer pathway. In the next few months, the Department will establish a reformed national cancer board, once a co-chair has been appointed to oversee and monitor the implementation of our cancer plan. The board will include a dedicated lead for children and young people’s cancer, ensuring that this work is driven forward with clear accountability and focus. They will make sure that we are staying on track. I know that my hon.”
“Just before recess, the Minister for Care announced the first 27 of 250 one-stop health shops that will be up and running next year, with 120 planned by the end of this Parliament. These offer a new model of care, as set out in our 10-year plan for health, with better access to specialist support and the safe roll-out of AI. Many colleagues—not least my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh)—have been pushing the Government for a long time to go further on research, which is why we are making research into improving outcomes for children, especially into kinder and more gentle treatments, a national research priority. The Department will take a more joined-up approach to research priorities using data, as my hon.”
“He spoke about the importance of early referrals to teenage and young adult multidisciplinary teams, with youth support co-ordinators on hand to help young people to navigate the huge journey they are going to have to go on, with the emotional impact of cancer alongside challenges around education, perhaps fertility and their long-term wellbeing. The Government are committed to diagnosing cancer in children and young people faster to ensure that they get the treatment and care they need as soon as possible. As my hon. Friend set out in his speech, this speed is of the utmost importance, so we will remove the barriers that stand in the way of timely diagnosis by making sure that young people’s needs are embedded into the design of neighbourhood health services.”
“This fund will make the world of difference to parents. It does not matter what someone earns; if their child needs treatment, we will help to get them there. We are also transforming the experience of care in hospital by making sure that every child and young person with cancer has access to high-quality, age-appropriate psychological support, which my hon. Friends the Members for Mansfield and for Redditch (Chris Bloore) both asked about. That support should be from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond; I will take on board the request of my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield for that support to last up to two years post treatment.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for that important intervention. I will also commit to meeting him and the young people he mentions, perhaps in co-ordination with my visit to the Teenage Cancer Trust. I hope there will be plenty of opportunity to meet young people during that visit. It is a yes to both of those requests. We heard from the children and young people cancer taskforce how many parents have been forced to cut back on food and other expenses to pay for the travel to treatment. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their family’s only focus should be on helping them to recover and getting them well, not on whether they can afford the petrol or the bus fare to get to their next appointment. That is why, through the plan, we are investing up to £10 million a year to support families with travel costs.”
“Connor has faced immense physical and emotional hardship as he has tried to navigate symptoms linked to EDS and CCI, enduring pain, uncertainty and long waits for answers, as we have heard. His experience reflects what too many patients and families have told us: that the system can feel fragmented, that they are often left to join up their own care, and that the lack of clear pathways can add to an already overwhelming burden. I want to assure Connor and others in his position that their voices have been heard.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for securing this very important debate and for his excellent opening speech, in which he took great care to set the scene for us. I appreciate that. My hon. Friend has been instrumental in bringing national attention to the challenges faced by people living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and craniocervical instability. Last year my predecessor in my role, my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton), met him and his constituent, Connor Edwards, who has suffered greatly, as we have heard, from the impact of these devastating conditions.”