Effect of COVID-19 on Health Services

Part of 4. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:12 pm on 8 July 2020.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 2:12, 8 July 2020

After you announced that health boards are looking at how they can restart planned NHS operations and cancer services, a constituent e-mailed, 'Try telling that to my friend, who has a tumour on his kidney and had his operation postponed, and my wife, who has swelling under her arm and below her ear, down to the top of her breast—no x-ray or scan, and her first physio was cancelled.' On 17 June, you said the Welsh NHS is continuing to provide urgent treatment and diagnostics for suspected cancer. A constituent received a health board letter today stating that, 'Due to the COVID-19 healthcare situation, there could be a significant wait for your investigations', and she fears she might have cancer. Did the Minister see the Panorama programme this week, warning of a possible 35,000 cancer deaths across the UK as an indirect consequence of the current pandemic? Does he have a figure for Wales? And what additional steps will the Welsh NHS now take to minimise this number?