Brain Tumour Tissue Preservation and Patient Choice in Scotland

That the Parliament notes concerns raised by the Campaign for Owain’s Law regarding what it sees as substantial variation in the fresh-freezing of brain tumour tissue following surgery across NHS Scotland; notes research by the campaign indicating that around a quarter (23%) of specimens reported across Scotland’s four main neuro-oncology NHS boards in 2025 were fresh-frozen, with significant variation between centres; understands that, once sufficient tissue for diagnosis has been secured, fresh-freezing suitable remaining tumour tissue can preserve future opportunities for advanced testing, personalised treatments, clinical trials and research; notes the view that diagnosis must always come first and that not every specimen will be suitable for freezing; considers that substantial variation in practice risks creating a postcode lottery in whether potentially valuable tissue is preserved; notes the belief that patients should receive clear and consistent information and meaningful choice regarding the storage and future use of their tissue, and further notes the calls for a consistent national approach to brain tumour tissue preservation across Scotland, including in the Argyll and Bute constituency, under which suitable remaining tissue is routinely fresh-frozen where clinically feasible, patient choice is protected and preserved tissue can better support future treatment, testing and research.