This week, Audit Wales published their report on Cancer Services in Wales. This report found that there has been a “continuing failure to meet national performance targets for cancer” with the national target of 75% of cancer patients starting treatment within 62 days not having been met by any of Wales’ seven health boards since August 2020.
The public body also accused the Welsh Labour Government of undermining their own three-year Cancer Improvement Plan by failing to clarify its status.
The Welsh Conservatives argue that the “stronger and clearer national leadership” called for by Audit Wales to drive necessary improvements in the Welsh NHS to address these issues can only be delivered through a change in government.
In the Senedd next week, the Welsh Conservatives are bringing forward a debate to highlight Audit Wales’ report into cancer services in Labour-run Wales, and are calling on the Welsh Labour Government to implement Audit Wales’ ten recommendations to improve cancer services.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, James Evans MS, said:
“Under the Welsh Labour Government, barely half of Welsh cancer patients are receiving treatment within the target time. This is completely unacceptable, and cannot continue.
“Audit Wales are clear, throwing money at the problem will achieve nothing. Only through a change in government will we see the ‘stronger and clearer national leadership’ required to drive through the improvements that we need to see for patients.
“In the Senedd next week, we’re calling on the Welsh Labour Government to set a clear timeframe for cancer patients to start treatment, and also adopt Audit Wales’ 10 recommendations from their Cancer Services in Wales report.”
Published on Tenovus Cancer Care’s website, seen here, in response to Audit Wales’ report on cancer services in Wales, Tenovus Cancer Care Chief Executive, Judi Rhys MBE, said:
“We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the findings of this report, which paints a bleak picture of the governance arrangements in place to support the delivery of cancer services in Wales. Based on a thorough investigation of the facts, the report validates serious concerns we have had as a charity regarding oversight, leadership and lack of a cohesive strategy.
“The challenges it highlights are not new. They reflect issues we have been raising for years. While we acknowledge the immense strain the Covid-19 pandemic placed on the NHS, this insight is part of a longer and troubling trend that cannot be ignored.
“We are particularly concerned by the stubbornly long waiting times for certain groups of cancers including gynaecological. Despite previous warnings, the pace of progress has been unacceptably slow.”
The motion which will be next week reads:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Notes the January 2025 “Cancer Services in Wales” report by Audit Wales.
2. Regrets that the Welsh Labour Government has:
a) consistently failed to hit the 75 per cent target for cancer patients starting treatment within 62 days since August 2020;
b) caused confusion, undermining their own Cancer Improvement Plan by providing insufficient clarity to the NHS and third sector bodies; and
c) not provided either strong nor clear national leadership to help drive necessary improvements to cancer diagnosis and treatment.
3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:
a) set a clear timeframe to meet the 75 per cent target for cancer patients starting treatment within 62 days;
b) publicly clarify the statuses of each of their cancer improvement plans and their interactions with each other;
c) utilise cross-sector, cross-community and cross-border capacity to drive down the longest waits for cancer treatment; and
d) implement Audit Wales’s 10 recommendations from the January 2025 “Cancer Services in Wales” report.
