Today on World Cancer Day the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce will resume its vital work to shift the dial on diagnosing and treating childhood cancer.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Member of Parliament for Gosport, will return to Chair the Taskforce as a co-Chair after months of campaigning for the Taskforce to resume its work.
The groundbreaking Department of Health and Social Care’s Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce was the result of 3 years of tireless campaigning by Dame Caroline and her constituent Charlotte Fairall, the founder of children’s cancer charity, Sophie’s Legacy.
In September 2020, Charlotte’s daughter Sophie was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma and tragically passed away a year later, aged just 10 years old.
Charlotte met with Caroline ten days after Sophie‘s death, and together they held meetings with experts on a range of subjects from genomics to paediatric oncology, to gather information about the issues and the solutions. In January 2022 Caroline raised the matter in Prime Minister’s Questions and in April 2022 she secured the first ever childhood cancer debate in the House of Commons. The Taskforce was established by the Conservative Government in February 2024.
Initial sprints with experts in research, treatments and diagnostics took place in the spring and the first deliverable action points were agreed.
However, a Government response on 6 September to a Written Question (UIN 2283) posed by Caroline signalled the Government’s intention to pause the work of the Taskforce, prompting parents of children with cancer to describe their response to the decision as “deeply disturbed”.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said at the time:
“I would be delighted to meet her to talk about the genesis of the task force and how we can take forward the outcomes that she wants to see.
“What we are trying to avoid is a plethora of task forces, and the risk that we’ve sometimes seen – and this is not a party political point, because this spans successive governments – of task forces being an alternative for action.”
Now, a National Cancer Plan to be published this year will set out targeted actions to reduce lives lost to one of the biggest killers, continue improving survival rates, and improve the experience of patients along their cancer journey.
It will also include specific actions for rarer cancers such as those affecting children.
The Taskforce will support this work, with Caroline and Professor Darren Hargrave appointed as its co-chairs, alongside Dr Sharna Shanmugavadivel as vice-chair.
Subsequent meetings later this year will confirm the work programme.
Co-Chair of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP said:
“On World Cancer Day, it should escape nobody’s attention that cancer is the biggest cause of death by illness for children under 14 in the UK.
“So I am thrilled that it has been confirmed that the Taskforce will resume its vital work improving the way we detect, treat and care for children and young people with cancer.”
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Rt Hon Edward Argar MP, said:
“I very much welcome the re-launch of the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce which is an important step toward improving cancer care for younger people. It brings together experts to create a unified approach for better treatment, support, and outcomes. By focusing on the unique needs of children and young people, the taskforce will aim to ensure that these patients receive world-leading, innovative care.
“This Taskforce was first launched last year under the previous government and whilst it was suspended following the General Election, I am pleased it will be able to continue its valuable work now under the Co-Chairmanship of Dame Caroline Dinenage MP and Professor Darren Hargrave.”
Founder of Sophie’s Legacy, Charlotte Fairall, said:
“Sophie’s Legacy welcomes the government’s relaunch of the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce as a vital step towards improving outcomes for young cancer patients across the UK.
“Too many children and young people face devastating delays in diagnosis, limited treatment options, and a lack of tailored support during and after their cancer journey. Sophie’s Legacy has worked tirelessly for over three years with the government to create change for children and young people with cancer.
“We urge the government to ensure this taskforce delivers meaningful action—faster diagnosis, better treatments, and dedicated support services for children, young people, and their families. We look forward to working collaboratively with policymakers, healthcare professionals, and other charities to turn promises into progress.
“Every child deserves the best possible chance at life. Let’s make this relaunch count.”
ENDS
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