March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month (BTAM), a national UK campaign launched in 2004 to raise awareness of the challenges faced by children and families affected by brain tumours.

For BTAM 2026 we were invited by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB to deliver a specialist clinical education workshop for GPs, clinicians and Advanced Practitioners in Winchester.

Bridging the Gap: Voluntary Sector Integration into Primary Care

The workshop drew on parent carer lived experience to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of brain tumours in children, introduce the HeadSmart UK GP training programme, and underscore the wellbeing impact on the family and the need for a holistic approach from the moment of diagnosis.

We covered four areas:

• Earlier recognition of the non-specific symptoms that often lead to emergency diagnoses
• The GP's role in the brain tumour care pathway and the barriers to better primary care services
• Holistic integration, showing how DLF supports the long-term intellectual and motor function challenges that follow treatment
• Clinical partnership, demonstrating how the voluntary sector provides the essential wraparound care that reduces the trauma load on primary care services

Please contact us if you would like to arrange an awareness programme for your clinical team.