RICHARD PUGH
COLUMNIST
EVERY two minutes someone in the UK is told they have cancer, and receiving that diagnosis can turn that person’s life upside down in a moment.
Recently, the Welsh Government published the first statistics from its brave new way of measuring cancer waiting times in Wales.
Instead of measuring from the time a hospital receives a referral from a GP, or from when there’s a decision to treat a person’s cancer, Wales is now the first UK country to measure cancer waiting times from the moment cancer is suspected.
The results, published on Thursday, August 22, showed that three-quarters of people with cancer in Wales started their treatment on time in June.
However, that means 352 people out of the 1,374 due to start cancer treatment in June had been waiting for cancer treatment for more than 62 days.
We know waiting to start cancer treatment is a deeply worrying time for people with cancer and their loved ones.
Delays increase this time of worry and can also have an impact on how successful cancer treatment is because early diagnosis and timely treatment are key.
While the first results show there is real work to be done, Macmillan welcomes this innovative approach, which aims for all people with cancer in Wales to start treatment within 62 days.
It is particularly important as the NHS and its staff are dealing with a growing number of people being diagnosed with – or suspected of having – cancer.
This new system means we have, for the first time, a true picture of how quickly all people are either treated for cancer or are told they don’t have it.
The old way of measuring waiting times sadly did not capture the reality of the waits some people with cancer faced before starting treatment.
It also did not give us an accurate picture of the level of diagnostic testing needed for people suspected of having cancer in Wales – and the workforce needed to deliver it.
At Macmillan, we speak to countless people with cancer on our support line, on our mobile information and support unit Bronwen and in our services and many of them tell us how difficult they found waiting to start their treatment.
The last Wales Cancer Patient Experience Survey showed while most people with cancer were happy with their care, several people had concerns about how long they waited to start their treatment, including one man who said he waited more than 100 days for his cancer care to start.
This new approach to measuring cancer waiting times aims to diagnose cancer more quickly as we know earlier diagnosis leads to better outcomes for patients.
Over time it will highlight areas where the system is working well, and where there are problems, which can then be addressed to drive improvement.
The Welsh Government has given an extra £3m a year to support health boards and Velindre with this new approach with a focus on the right workforce and technology.
GPs will be given better access to advice, information and diagnostic tests so this £3m will go some way to making sure we have the correct staff and technology to support this.
But while the NHS adapts to this new approach to deliver more timely cancer care, it is important we don’t lose sight of the people living with cancer behind these waiting times and what they need.
It is imperative their cancer treatment is timely, but it is equally important that each person with cancer in Wales has an holistic needs assessment to unearth and address cancer’s wider impact on their life and what help they need.
That may be help with their finances, emotional support or practical support to help them manage cancer’s impact on their lives, which Macmillan is here to help with thanks to our supporters.
The Welsh Government’s cancer plan is ambitious with a vision of achieving outcomes that match the best in Europe, which we are some way off doing.
But we hope this new waiting times system is a step in the right direction to giving every person diagnosed with cancer in Wales the timely, high quality treatment they deserve.
For advice, information, or a chat, call Macmillan free on 0808 808 0000.