'I've been working tirelessly': Childhood Cancer Taskforce put on pause following new government

Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has been working alongside her consituent, Charlotte Fairall, for the past three years following the death of Charlotte’s daughter, Sophie.

Sophie was 10-years-old when she died from a rare type of cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, and Charlotte established ‘Sophie’s Legacy’, which is a charity dedicated to improving the care that children and parents receive. Following three years of campaigning to raise awareness, it was confirmed earlier this year, that a taskforce would be introduced to make necessary changes to improve the way that childhood cancer is approached.

Caroline Dinenage, member of parliament for Gosport, has called on the government to explain why the work of the groundbreaking Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce has been paused.

Speaking in the Chamber, Caroline said: “The Secretary of State will know that cancer is the biggest cause of death by illness of children under the age of 14 in the UK and September is Children's Cancer Awareness Month.

“He won't know that September is also the third anniversary of the death of my constituent Sophie Fairall - she was 10 years old - and it's with Sophie's mum Charlotte that I've been campaigning for the last three years for the Children and Young People's Cancer Taskforce to be set up.

“That Taskforce was set up at the beginning of this year with a stated aim of meaningfully changing the way that we detect; the way that we treat; and the way that we care for children with cancer.

“I've heard him very passionately set out how he is wanting to focus on prevention and early intervention and yet this month we’ve also learnt that he's pausing the Children and Young People's Cancer Taskforce.

“Parents of children with cancer and myself are deeply disturbed by this announcement. I wonder if he could explain why?”

In response to Caroline, Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: “The pause is because we want to make sure that as we look at the breadth of the work of the department that we've got the right vehicles to deliver the outcomes that we want to see.

“That's why we've paused rather than cancelled or slammed or criticized the work that she was already doing and I'd be delighted to meet with her to talk about the genesis of the Taskforce and how we can take forward the outcomes that she wants to see.”

Caroline and Charlotte met with various Health Secretaries proposing a Childhood Cancer Mission developed by a Taskforce that would include scientists, researchers, oncologists, charities and parents, with a goal to create a Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan. In January this year then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the Taskforce would be launched, with Caroline as Chair and Charlotte on the panel.  The first ‘sprints’ with experts in research, treatments and diagnostics took place in the spring and the first deliverable action points agreed. 

Charlotte Fairall said: “I’m not impressed by the Secretary of State’s answer. I’ve been working tirelessly, with Caroline’s support, to ensure Sophie’s experience delivers a meaningful legacy for other children and young people with cancer.  This was just beginning to bear fruit; first meetings had taken place and action points already made. Stalling the work at this stage feels retrograde and unnecessary.”

The Taskforce unites top clinicians and researchers, leading cancer charities, and the Government, with the common goal of saving lives and reducing the long-term impacts of cancer. Structured meetings with experts and senior figures from the Department for Health and Social Care, NHS England, the Office for Life Sciences, as well as appointees from the wider clinical community, were already taking place, designed to drive forward measurable progress in improving cancer outcomes for children.

For more information about Sophie’s Legacy, click here.

For more information about the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, click here.