7. What progress is being made by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in respect of cancer waiting times? OAQ(5)0105(HWS)

Cancer performance at Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board remains at higher levels than in other health boards in Wales. The latest figures for Betsi Cadwaladr show nearly 99 per cent of people meeting the 31-day measure and nearly 92 per cent against the 62-day measure. Cancer waiting times will, of course, remain a key priority for me.

As has often been pointed out in this place and elsewhere, there is still a long list of patients who have been failed by Betsi Cadwaladr during the treatment of cancer and other illnesses. No clinician would wilfully neglect or let down a patient in their care. That these errors have happened and are continuing to happen is down to mismanagement by the local health board. What will the Cabinet Secretary say to those families who have been let down by Betsi Cadwaladr and who are perhaps now waiting for delayed results and, like a constituent of mine, for the outcome of delayed treatment, frightened that their loved one may not live as long because their cancer may have spread?

Thank you for the question. I don’t quite share your reflection on the whole picture. As I’ve indicated, Betsi Cadwaladr do extremely well when it comes to waiting times for cancer. The challenge is, anyone who waits too long—. Even if you’re seen within time it can be an anxious process and that has a real impact on the individuals and their families. If you’re seen out of that time, of course, people are more worried about the potential impact on their outcomes. We know there have been ombudsman investigations that indicate there have been times where the health board have not acted in a way in which they could and should have done. It’s important that, in recognising the high quality of care that is delivered and the good performance when it comes to waiting times, we don’t avoid looking at those areas where the health board could and should improve as well. There’s learning to take from that, and I understand that if you’re one of those families where you feel the health board have not acted as they could and should have done it won’t really matter to you if the general experience, the overwhelming experience, of people is an entirely different one. There is a real point about learning and accountability for that and in our own drive for improvement and the health board’s one too. So, I expect Betsi Cadwaladr, as in fact every other health board, to properly learn when mistakes are made and then to do everything they could and should do to make sure they don’t occur in the future.