1. Brain Tumour Research Group event - House of Commons 23 March 2010

 

Professor Geoff Pilkington, Vice President of BNOS and Professor David Walker both delivered talks at Speaker’s House, Westminster on 23 March 2010 at an event to recognise the achievements of the Brain Tumour Research Group of charities.   John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, presided over the event which was attended by many MPs, including Cabinet Ministers as well as patients, carers and charity representatives.   See also: http://www.braintumourresearch.org/index.php/lobbying-news-.html

Above: Professor Geoff Pilkington speaking. To his right, Sue Farrington Smith, Director of Brain Tumour Research Group and John Bercow Left: Three BNOS Council members attended this event. From left, Professor David Walker, Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP*, Dr Colin Watts and Professor Geoff Pilkington *Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group for Brain Tumours (Photos courtesy of Kate Everall)

 

 

2.  Link to: 

A submission from the British Neuro-Oncology Society to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer

Inquiry into cancer inequalities by Colin Watts (on behalf of BNOS)

 

3.  Letter from Kathy Oliver, Co-Director of the International Brain Tumour Alliance (www.theibta.org):

Dear All

International Brain Tumour Awareness Week was earlier this month and to tie in with this period, the IBTA asked Lord Carlile of Berriew QC to table a Parliamentary Question (PQ) in the House of Lords about brain tumours.

Lord Carlile very kindly agreed to do this and his PQ and the response are pasted in below.  The PQ and response appear in Hansard, the Parliamentary order paper (dated 12 November) and can be accessed via this link:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/text/91112w0006.htm#09111249001170

With kind regards

Kathy

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Health: Brain Tumours

Question

Asked by Lord Carlile of Berriew

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they propose to meet the challenges associated with the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours, in the light of the initiatives provided by International Brain Tumour Awareness Week. [HL6296]

Baroness Thornton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published Improving Outcomes guidance in 2006 on the healthcare that should be provided for people with brain tumours and other central nervous system (CNS) tumours to ensure the

12 Nov 2009 : Column WA213

best outcomes, including early diagnosis. It is for the National Health Service locally to implement this guidance, and the National Cancer Action Team continues to work with the NHS at local level to agree implementation plans.

The National Cancer Peer Review Programme is currently developing measures for brain and CNS tumours, which will be incorporated into the Manual for Cancer Services. Other work includes supporting the British Neuro-Oncology Society with the development of national guidelines for rarer brain tumours. It is planned that all brain services in England will be reviewed against these measures from April 2011 in order to establish how well the Improving Outcomes guidance has been implemented.

In September 2009, we announced plans to further improve access to diagnostics in primary care by offering all patients access to tests and results, which can confirm or exclude cancer within one week. Our aim is to start rolling this out from 2011-12 over a five-year period.