4. How is the Welsh Government supporting health boards to ensure the 62-day suspected cancer pathway target is consistently met across Wales? OQ62466

Improving cancer outcomes and reducing cancer waiting times is a priority for this Government. We are investing in cancer services and working with the health boards, supported by the NHS executive, to drive sustainable improvement for cancer waiting times, through implementation of the national optimum pathways.

Thank you for the response, Cabinet Secretary. I was contacted by a constituent who had received a devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. My constituent, having waited a total of 107 days for treatment, as opposed to the 62 intended under the suspected cancer pathway target, then discovered that she would need a mastectomy. She’s unsure to this day whether this might have been avoided had the target time been met. But after that incredibly mentally and physically challenging surgery, she was then told she’d suffered nerve damage as a result of the surgery and is now on another waiting list with an expected wait of two years for a second operation. When my constituent asked Swansea Bay University Health Board why she had had to wait 107 days rather than the target 62, she was told that it was down to, and I quote, bank holidays'. I’m sure you’ll agree with me, Cabinet Secretary, that that is a completely unacceptable response and a devastating situation for my constituent. Cancer doesn’t take bank holidays. So, how is the Welsh Government ensuring that all health boards are meeting that 62-day target, rather than hiding behind lame excuses, because lives are on the line?

Well, I’m sorry to hear about the experience that your constituent has had. Clearly, that is not good enough. I’m not in a position to comment on the response from the health board, because I don’t know the context to what was said. What I know is that, in relation to breast cancer specifically, four health boards achieved the cancer waiting time target, including Swansea bay health board, which achieved a performance of over 80 per cent. Of course, we would want to see that even higher, but that is the situation at the moment. We have a national programme, which is supported by the NHS executive, to work with health boards and NHS trusts to recover cancer waiting time performance for the five cancers with the lowest performance rates.

I would say that, in relation to breast cancer, there is, in parts of Wales, an extremely strong track record, where health boards have been able to develop one-stop-shop approaches, and parts of his region will be served by such a facility. And we know that, in those areas it’s a much better experience for patients, because it’s a faster experience, frankly, but also it enables the health board to reach much, much higher levels of compliance, as much as 89 or 90 per cent, with the target. So, it’s more of that innovation in service delivery that we want to see, to make sure that women, like your constituent, don’t have to have that experience.

Rare cancers are less frequently diagnosed, but collectively they account for almost one in every five of all cancer diagnoses each year, and include gynaecological cancers, and some of the less survivable cancers, such as stomach and oesophageal cancers and blood cancers. The earlier diagnosis of these rare cancers will be critical to meeting the 62-day waiting time target. Last Friday, the Rare Cancers Bill, a private Member’s Bill, progressed through its Second Reading in the UK Parliament, and it hopes to make provision to incentivise research and investment into the treatment of rare types of cancer and for connected purposes. And so, while the focus of the Bill is England, its effects may be felt here in Wales, as so many patients do travel to England for their cancer treatment, as was mentioned earlier in discussion. So, has the Welsh Government given any consideration to the effects and the consequences for Wales if this Bill does become law?  

Thank you for that important question. The Rare Cancers Bill was introduced, of course, as a private Member’s Bill, but the UK Government has confirmed its support for the legislation, as the Member obviously knows. A date for Committee Stage will be confirmed; it hasn’t yet been allocated. There has been correspondence between us—between the two Governments—in relation to the Bill, and there have been discussions at official level with Department for Health and Social Care counterparts on the potential implications and opportunities that might arise in the Bill. There is support for improving research into rare types of cancer here in Wales. We’ve agreed that officials will work closely to make sure there is a co-ordination and a join-up across the UK in relation to the objectives of the Bill.

I mentioned in my answer to Mabon ap Gwynfor the work of the Health and Care Research Wales delivery hub, but it’s also perhaps worth noting in the context of rare cancers specifically that Health and Care Research Wales has also recently appointed a research speciality lead for rare diseases, and their role is to increase and accelerate, frankly, the uptake of research across NHS Wales for rare diseases, including cancers.

Thank you to Tom Giffard for raising this question, but, unfortunately, there are far too many examples of constituents not receiving treatment within 62 days—the expected target. Tom referred to a constituent in his area, and I literally have just received a message from a constituent from the Dinas Mawddwy area who received a lung cancer diagnosis back in November. She continues to wait for treatment and she was told that the next step will be radiotherapy, but there is a problem with the boundaries. She understood that she would have to travel down to Singleton in Swansea from Dinas Mawddwy, but then that that wouldn't be possible because she lived in the Betsi Cadwaladr region. Her life is literally on the line, with the cancer perhaps growing and spreading while the health boards argue over who should take responsibility for her treatment because of where she lives. This is true of a number of patients. Now, the Cabinet Secretary has said previously that the Government has tackled the postcode lottery, but it is clear that that isn't the case, and patients are still suffering as a result. Does the Cabinet Secretary believe that the situation facing my constituent is acceptable, and what steps are being taken to prevent this from happening?

Well, I'm not in a position to make specific comments on the position of the constituent. The situation doesn't sound acceptable from his description. If he could send me a letter with details, I would be happy to look into that.