Access to Cancer Treatments

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:10 pm on 24 March 2021.

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Photo of Angela Burns Angela Burns Conservative 2:10, 24 March 2021

Thank you very much, Minister. I do appreciate your words. That's very kind of you, and I would reciprocate by saying thank you for your transparency and honesty on some of the occasions that we've had to look at some of the very tough situations that are facing our health and social services.

Of course, one of the very tough situations facing us is the provision of cancer treatments to people through the pandemic. Now, Wales has been without a cancer delivery plan since the end of last year, and, on Monday of this week, the Wales Cancer Alliance, who were hugely unimpressed with either your quality statement or your COVID-19 forward work programme, starkly warned that cancer care in Wales is at risk without a new cancer strategy. The delivery plan that you had was 21 pages long and it's been replaced by a statement that's around three pages long. I've had a read of it; it's full of nice commentary and very much little else. To quote the cancer alliance, 

'the quality statement lacks a clear roadmap for how cancer care can improve so that Wales can catch up with the best performing countries and, ultimately, save more lives.'

Most damningly, they go on to say that they do not believe

'this is a sufficiently detailed response to the current crisis in cancer care, nor does it point to a sufficiently bold ambition for cancer services in Wales.'

Minister, you talked about having a real ambition for Wales in your answer to Rhun ap Iorwerth, so can you please tell us a little bit more of what is that real ambition for cancer services, and how do you respond to this rather damning indictment of your Government's plans to treat cancer over the coming years, if you should be so fortunate as to form the next Government?