Brain tumour research funding: Call for government to do 'a lot more'
The government has spent just £11.3m of its £40m budget since 2018
Last updated 25th Aug 2023
The husband of a St Helens woman who died after battling brain cancer has called on the government to 'do a lot more' when it comes to funding cancer research.
Jennifer Roscoe passed away last month, four years after an MRI scan revealed that she had a glioblastoma (BM) brain tumour.
The government is facing criticism for only spending around a quarter of its £40million budget for research into brain tumours.
Just £11.3million has been invested since 2018, despite brain tumours killing more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
The lack of home research initiatives is forcing many families to seek alternative treatments abroad.
David Roscoe said:
"When we looked at stuff that they done abroad, we did see lots of different things out there.
"It's not very accessible. The NHS in our country is absolutely fantastic, can't fault them, they have a lot of limitations placed upon them, they have a lot of funding issues themselves which I think is insane.
"The fact that people, in our country, look to go abroad to get treatment is a reflection of where funding is being allocated from our government."
Brain Tumour Research is calling on the government to ring-fence £110million of current and new funding to kick-start an increase in the national investment in brain tumour research to £35million a year by 2028.
A petition has been signed nearly 30,000 times. 100,000 is needed by the end of October 2023 to try and secure a parliamentary debate.
Mr Roscoe added:
"I get very frustrated with how funding is allocated, especially for any kind of cancer.
"I think in this day and age, I think it's insane that we even have to sign petitions and request that more funding is given towards research.
"It just seems absurd that we even have to fundraise to get more money to help these things.
"We want to continue her legacy where she was raising awareness and raising funds - not just for brain tumours, but for all cancers.
"I remember when I was the younger, the ratios, now we're talking one in two people.
"That should indicate that we need to be doing more, because otherwise, it's going to be every single person that's impacted by cancer and that's what we need to avoid at all cost."
The government insists it's 'desperate' to spend the money.
Minister for public health, Neil O'Brien, said:
"We as a department are running workshops, engaging with clinicians, encouraging people to come forward and make research bids for that money.
"We do want to spend the money as quickly as we possibly can, obviously."