Speaking outside Downing Street, the DUP representative said:

“Sadly so many families face a cancer diagnosis of a child or young person, and as they face that cancer journey they also face substantial costs associated with treatment that can make all the difference to a positive outcome to that cancer journey.

Research conducted by Young Lives vs Cancer shows that young cancer patients are travelling an average of 350 miles a month, paying an average of £250, and that 1 in 10 young people have missed or delayed treatment because they can’t afford these costs. These are deeply worrying statistics that highlight the cost burden of care at an already traumatic and difficult time, and how the reality is we have young people missing vital treatment because of affordability. That is wrong.

I was honoured to join campaigners on the ‘Running on Empty’ march to Downing Street to make the call to the Prime Minister to step up the financial support being made available to families facing such a difficult journey with cancer treatment. I will continue to champion the needs of cancer sufferers young and old. We urgently need a Young Cancer Patients Travel Fund, so that no young person will ever have to miss or delay their cancer treatment.”