Early diagnosis sis is key to cancer survival rates, says Bridgend MP

LAST month I wrote about the missing 40,000 cancer patients who have failed to show up in hospitals this year.

Many will not realise that they have cancer because they have not yet been to their GP to be diagnosed.

Today, I want to focus on the importance of diagnosis.

As the NHS in Wales struggles to cope with an estimated 600,000 backlog of cases – and these are the ones that we know of – it is more important than ever that we adopt new and innovative ways of working.

Welsh Conservatives at the Senedd have urged the Welsh Labour Government to set up rapid diagnostic centres.

The UK Government has provided £350m to fund 40 such centres in England and Welsh Government will get its own consequential funding as a result to pay for some in Wales.

But at the moment, they seem to be resisting this move.

Why? What’s not to like about a onestop shop where checks, scans and tests will be conducted away from our major hospitals and GP surgeries, freeing them up to deal with other patients?

Early diagnosis is key to cancer survival rates and with 40,000 people having failed to turn up so far, the fear is that many will already have left it too late.

Setting up a system of hubs where these tests can be done quickly is vital if we are ever to get to grips with the waiting lists and reduce waiting times so that treatment can start.

I urge Welsh Government to ditch their newly acquired pseudo-nationalism which makes them hostile to ideas coming from the NHS in England.

Everyone needs to work together across the UK to tackle the Covid legacy and mitigate its devastating impact on health services.