5. What plans does the Welsh Government have to invest in cancer services in Wales? OAQ(5)0012(FM)

Cancer is a top priority for us. The £200 million business case for transforming cancer services across south-east Wales is being progressed, and, of course, the outline business case for a new cancer hospital in Velindre—of course, in the Member’s constituency—is due to be submitted by the end of this year.

I thank the First Minister for that response. As he says, there are exciting plans in place to improve cancer services in south-east Wales, bringing services closer to people in their own homes, and also to build a new Velindre. So, will he confirm his Government’s commitment to building the new Velindre, in order to improve the quality of service that we’re able to offer?

Yes, I can absolutely give that commitment. It will house a number of new treatments as well—the stereotactic radiotherapy, for example, will be housed there, and that will give new opportunities to so many people who are living with cancer to be able to have their lives extended, or better. We intend for Velindre to be a state-of-the-art cancer facility for the people of Wales.

One of the areas where Wales has fallen behind a little in terms of treating cancer is the diagnosis waiting time. A number of cancer charities, during the campaign that we’ve all just participated in, have been in touch with a number of candidates and asked what we can do in this Assembly to improve diagnostic times. Plaid Cymru, for example, had a proposal for diagnosis within 28 days. What are you as a Government going to do to improve the situation in Wales?

We must ensure that diagnosis takes place as soon as possible. But with some cancer patients, it’s not as easy to get an early diagnosis. With the majority, that’s fine. But also, people want to move forward to receive treatment. Our figures on treatment are good and are improving, and we must ensure that that’s our ultimate aim. But of course, it’s important to have new resources such as Velindre to ensure that the best treatment is available to the majority of people.

First Minister, we welcome your own manifesto commitment of £80 million for a new treatment fund. This of course follows on the back of the Welsh Conservatives calling for many years for a cancer treatment drugs fund to end the inequality and postcode lottery that does exist here in Wales. Will you pledge on record here today, First Minister, that during this Assembly term we will not see any patient having to travel out of Wales to receive the very necessary treatment they need? But also, to widen the scope available to you, will you look at the millions of pounds wasted on routine treatment drugs so freely available over the counter in supermarkets? This is all part of your free prescriptions for all, and I think it would be much better to see this money targeted in a better way towards a cancer treatments fund.

Ah, the tablet tax makes its reappearance. No, we have no plans to start charging people for prescriptions, any more than we have plans to start charging people for GP appointments. I don’t anticipate anybody crossing the border, because the cancer drugs fund in England has gone. It collapsed under the weight of its own pressure. So, what we’ve put in place is a sensible, affordable fund where people will have access—not just people with cancer, because there are, obviously, other life-threatening conditions, and it’s important that people are treated equally with life-threatening conditions—but where they will be able to access drugs as quickly as possible, as soon as they’re approved by NICE or the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group. We think that is a sensible, fair and humane fund that will be available to, yes, those who are living with cancer, but also people who are living with a number of life-threatening conditions.

First Minister, Wales has some of the lowest cancer survival rates in the developed world, and the main reason is poor detection and early intervention. How will your Government improve diagnosis and treatment, and do you agree with my party that everyone diagnosed with cancer should have a full written care plan?

Well, these are issues, of course, that we’ve been investigating, particularly with regard to a key worker. When somebody is diagnosed with cancer it’s an immense blow, and an immense struggle. I’ve seen it, as have a number of others—I’m sure all Members have within this Chamber. Early detection is important. That’s why we know, of course, that the number of referrals has increased, but on top of that, we know that people are getting treatment certainly more quickly than was the case, and of course they will have access, when Velindre is open, to some of the most state-of-the-art treatments that can be made available, I’d argue, in the world. That’s why it’s so important that Velindre is available to the people of south Wales, and of course that we continue to make sure that services are available for the people of north Wales, cross-border, so that they can get the treatment they require as well.