Still lots to do to cut cancer waiting times
A LEADING charity has welcomed an improvement in cancer treatment waiting times but warns that a third of cancer patients are still facing worrying delays in their care.
The latest cancer treatment times data published by the Welsh Government show that more than 550 people faced delays in their treatment in March 2021 alone.
Macmillan said that while this was a marked improvement on the previous month, it demonstrated just how far Wales’ cancer services had to go in recovering from the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic.
It also warned that despite the improvement in the number of cancer treatments taking place in March, there had been around 1,430 fewer people starting their first definitive treatment for cancer since the pandemic began.
Jon Antoniazzi, policy manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, said: “We really do have to acknowledge this improvement, with hardworking NHS staff across every health board in Wales achieving an improved performance against Wales’ nationally-set cancer treatment targets.
“But these figures also show the scale of the challenge we have left. We are still seeing far fewer people coming through the system, and our worry is that this will mean more people receiving a later diagnosis and therefore needing far more complex treatment.
“We have seen details from the Welsh Government on how the initial £100m to aid the NHS in its recovery from this pandemic will be allocated. These latest figures show just how much that investment is needed and welcome.
“People will only get the early diagnosis and treatment they need to get the best possible outcome if there is a well-funded, well-resourced and highlytrained workforce to deliver it.
“The funding announcement is a welcome first step in the right direction, but we will need to see significantly more in the future.”
If anyone is worried and needs advice, information or a chat you can call Macmillan for free on 0808 808 0000.