The mom of a 10-year-old lady who died from a uncommon type of most cancers has criticised the federal government for “pausing” the work of a gaggle set as much as fight the illness in kids.
Charlotte Fairall, whose daughter Sophie died in 2021, mentioned the choice was “completely unacceptable”.
The Kids and Younger Individuals’s Most cancers Taskforce was arrange in February 2024 following a marketing campaign by Mrs Fairall.
Her daughter was recognized with a type of smooth tissue most cancers only a yr earlier than she died, after a tumour was found in her stomach.
Well being Secretary Wes Streeting mentioned the taskforce had been “paused moderately than cancelled” as his division checked out one of the best methods to take points ahead.
Mrs Fairall mentioned the taskforce, which was shaped of clinicians, charities and sufferers teams, had already developed an motion plan.
“I believe it is a full let-down to those kids who do not get a voice and do not get a say in any of this work.”
She mentioned the choice, which is available in Childhood Most cancers Consciousness Month, had additionally been introduced at a very unhealthy time for her household.
“You could not decide a worse month for us to do it. [September] was the month she was recognized and the month she died.
“She fought so rattling arduous to try to beat this most cancers with therapy that she was by no means going to win in opposition to. “
“It simply sticks behind your throat actually….What’s it going to take for the federal government to make kids’s most cancers a precedence? As a result of it by no means has been”
Mr Streeting mentioned he has despatched his condolences to Mrs Fairall and her household for the “unimaginable ache and grief and loss” that they had suffered.
Talking earlier within the Home of Commons, he mentioned he was attempting to keep away from “a plethora of taskforces and the danger that we have generally seen….of taskforces being another for motion”.
Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage, who chairs the taskforce and campaigned for its creation, mentioned she believed the choice was based mostly on a misunderstanding of what the group does.
She mentioned it had been set as much as “ship pressing change” and that “valuable time and momentum” could be “wasted”.
She added “I can be pushing for this very important work to proceed.”
The Division for Well being and Social Care has been approached for remark.
