6. What progress is the Welsh Government making in improving survival rates for cancer? OAQ(5)0278(FM)

Well, cancer survival rates do continue to improve year on year. One-year survival has now reached 70 per cent and five-year survival has reached 50 per cent. We will continue this progress through the refreshed cancer delivery plan, which was published on the fifteenth of this month.

Diolch, First Minister. Last week, the Member for Cynon Valley, Vikki Howells, and myself had the great privilege to tour the laboratories of Cancer Research Wales. We were able to witness the internationally renowned groundbreaking work that is now taking place here in Wales to increase scientific understanding of how cancer attacks the immune system. Therefore, may I welcome warmly the Welsh Government’s revised cancer delivery plan that has just been launched? All of us can applaud the fact that patient satisfaction remains positive. Investment on spending on cancer services has risen from £347 million in 2011-12 to £409 million in 2014-15. So, First Minister, what can the Welsh Government do, going forward, to equip the scientists at Cancer Research Wales with the tools they need to improve survival rates by improving the early detection of cancer?

Well, we are investing £4.5 million of funding over three years in the new Wales Cancer Research Centre, which was launched in October last year. In addition, roughly £4.7 million is invested annually in support of recruiting patients to trials or studies and supporting health board research activity.

It is well-known that survival rates of cancer are lower for those who receive a diagnosis through accident and emergency departments in hospitals. It’s also known that there is some inequality in terms of who is likely to get a diagnosis in an A&E department, and that the less wealthy are more likely to go through that process rather than going through alternative processes and getting over barriers in going to see their GP and so on. So, would the First Minister agree with me that the Government could look at introducing walk-in centres so that people who do have symptoms that they may have had for some time can actually go and get a check-up without going through the GP process in full?

Well, the problem, I believe, with many of the various cancers, is that they just present when one goes to an A&E department because of the fact that the symptoms aren’t serious or don’t become serious until you actually have to go to A&E. Pancreatic cancer is an example of that, where many people only get the diagnosis once they go into A&E, because it’s so difficult to give a diagnosis for that kind of cancer. Others might feel some pain and they do nothing about it—we know that some are like that. Then, of course, they’re in a position where they have to have treatment. We’ve been working with doctors to ensure that GPs can move people through the system so that they can have a cancer diagnosis as soon as is possible, and we see, of course, that the vast majority of people do go through the system and get a diagnosis as soon as possible.

First Minister, the key to improving cancer survival rates is early diagnosis. It is therefore hugely welcome that the new cancer delivery plan for Wales is overhauling the GP cancer referrals by piloting diagnostic centres in Cwm Taf Local Health Board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board. However, the delivery plan states that improving access to diagnostics is an enormous challenge. What actions are you taking to address the shortages of equipment and staff in pathology, radiography and oncology identified in the delivery plan?

Well, three examples: we are investing nearly £10 million in new linear accelerators so that patients can have access to the latest radiotherapy techniques. Our regional centres perform well in terms of the rate of intensity-modulated radiotherapy. We are committed to a new £200 million Velindre cancer centre, and, through the transforming cancer services programme, we will revolutionise the way that cancer services are delivered in the south-east of Wales. We have agreed £3 million of funding for decontamination facilities in endoscopy units and at least £6 million for a pilot diagnostic hub in Cwm Taf, as the Member has mentioned. All of these things, taken together, will continue to improve the outlook for so many of those who are living with cancer—to use the correct terminology.